Minneapolis city leaders are touting residential growth and new investments in business during the Downtown Council’s annual meeting at the Armory.
Some milestones this year include 30 new businesses operating out of downtown, $1.8 billion in new construction investments, and a 3.7% increase the residential population.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says that’s just the beginning.
"One of the best cities for seniors. We've been able to keep housing more affordable than almost any other city in the entire country," claims Frey. "Crime is down, activity is up, and Minneapolis is coming back in a huge way. And it's because of people that are in this room right now."
Crime being down in Minneapolis is relative. It is down compared to a peak in 2021. But it's also nearly flat compared to 2023 numbers. In 2024, murders and non-negligent homicides rose from 72 to 76, according to city statistics. But shootings did fall, and reached nearly pre-pandemic levels. Minneapolis saw a 9% drop in 2024.
Frey says the biggest change when it comes to crime has been staffing within the Minneapolis Police Department. They still have around 200 vacancies and continue to be well over budget with overtime since a flood of retirements and resignations after the 2020 killing of George Floyd by police and the unrest that followed it.
As of last October, the department had 578 officers. Frey says they're making headway in re-staffing a department that had over 900 officers in 2019. Frey reported 133% increase in applicants to the department.
"The numbers in Minneapolis Police Department are going substantially up right now," says Frey. "We're going to see a banner year in 2025, and I'll tell you, we're going to continue to see crime go down."
When it comes to the city's future?
Minneapolis’ 2035 plan “downtown by design” will focus on things like converting 3 million square feet of commercial property into residential as more businesses adjust to hybrid work and work-from-home. Frey says the city will also explore restructuring Nicollet Mall and launching a community safety impact dashboard for residents.
Frey is seeking a third term as mayor with that election coming up this fall.