As Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's order for all state workers to return to the office at least 50% of the time takes effect next week, the buzz of employees in downtown Minneapolis continues to pick up.
Downtown business leaders say the in-office presence is at about 70% of pre-pandemic levels. However there's still a void without the thousands of Target Corporation employees filling the streets at lunchtime.
But Minneapolis Downtown Council President and CEO Adam Duininck says they are coming back - slowly but surely.
"The trajectory is in a positive direction," says Duininck. "Do I wish they were here every day? Absolutely, of course. And we hear that from restauranteurs and business owners, but I think the trajectory is good and hopefully at some point they call their employees back full time."
Duinink says they'll once again be focusing on Nicollet Mall this summer with weekday vendors, music and food sprinkled between big events like Taste of Minnesota and the Aquatennial.
Duininck says while a return of the popular Nicollet Mall farmer's market isn't feasible this year, they're hoping to bring it back in 2026. He also adds they're brainstorming some new events for those who actually live downtown.
"Downtown Minneapolis is a big community in and of itself," Duininck explains. "When you think about the residents that live here, 60,000 people within a 10 or 20-minute walk of this downtown core. What if we had a monthly market down here, with music and vendors and something that really drove people to come down and come together?"
Duinink says they're continuing to work on a plan to get the buses off Nicollet Mall, which he says will help tremendously with the area's vibrancy.