Six years after George Floyd's murder, the city of Minneapolis is set to begin work on the redesign of George Floyd Square at 38th and Chicago Avenue South.
Construction begins in June and is expected to wrap up in 2027 after a years-long process finally came to a consensus with the Minneapolis City Council last year.
The plans include flexible space for gatherings, art and memorials, green space, on-street parking and upgraded bikeways.
City Engineer Adam Hayow says the new design will allow buses to move through freely.
"In order for the turning movements for buses to work, we had to slightly modify the shape of the center fist, in order for buses to move around it," Hayow explains. "But yes, the buses will be able to go through the intersection without any issues."
Project leaders say they will be temporarily moving the large fist that has become a landmark at the intersection, along with other smaller fist memorials during the process.
"So, our goal, the city's goal is to make sure that we have an active memorial space at all times during construction," City Public Arts administrator Mary Altman adds.
They're asking for community input on how best to do that in a questionnaire on the city's website here.
An open house is planned at the Phelps Recreation Center on 39th Street Tuesday evening. The project will reconstruct about 0.5 miles of Chicago Avenue and 38th Street. This work will happen on 38th Street, from Park Avenue to 10th Avenue, and on Chicago Avenue, from 37th Street to 39th Street.
This May marks six years since George Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, sparking a rash of violent demonstrations in the Twin Cities and nationwide.
