Minneapolis City Council votes on new proposal for George Floyd Square
The Minneapolis City Council has voted to pursue a plan to turn George Floyd Square into a pedestrian mall, ignoring a proposal already put forward by Mayor Jacob Frey.
The backlash was swift from those who opposed the idea, calling it yet another delay in addressing what needs to be done at 38th and Chicago Avenues.
With it being nearly 5 years after the murder of George Floyd, councilmember Andrea Jenkins said further delays would “take years of community engagement of designing a pedestrian mall. So it is a delay.”
Councilmember Jason Chavez says a pedestrian plaza at George Floyd Square is the best option for honoring the community and the significance of what happened there.
“This is not about delaying. This is about moving forward. However, there is a legislative process that we have to go through in this body to move forward with the pedestrian model concept,” Chavez said.
Chavez says the goal is to have a plan formalized by next June.
Minneapolis Mayor Frey expressed frustration after the city council decided to ignore his office’s design proposal.
While speaking with News Talk 830 WCCO’s Chad Hartman he said that no matter what the ultimate design plan ends up being, a decision needs to be made.
“A big part of legislative bodies. You’ve got to make calls. You’ve got to make decisions. And I think that’s where I am right now, I'm frustrated,” Frey said. “I’m frustrated that the can continues to get kicked down the road.”
