The community garden created at the location where police fatally shot Winston Smith in Uptown will be removed, according to FOX 9.
The owners of Seven Points Uptown, where the garden is located, said they would move forward with the removal, and a FOX 9 photojournalist observed Minneapolis police officers at the intersection on Wednesday morning. Officers stood by as the community peace garden honoring Smith and Erickson was being removed.
The decision was made in collaboration with neighbors, community stakeholders, and the city of Minneapolis, according to Northpond Partners.
The garden will be dismantled after weeks of destruction of property, violent acts, and arson, the main reason for the decision.
"We previously committed to work to allow a community garden as long as it remained a safe and peaceful gathering place. Unfortunately, that has not happened," Northpond Partners said in a statement. "The continued destruction of property, violent acts, arson, noise ordinance violations, and blocking access to Uptown residents and businesses created an unsustainable and unhealthy situation."
“We did coordinate along with Seven Points, which is the private property owner there, to restore their property to the full operational use for their patrons and their workers,” Mayor Frey told the Chad Hartman Show on WCCO. “We've been in conversations with them quite some time as to how to both safely and effectively open the premises.”
Northpond Partners will be working with the families of the victims and local artists to create a permanent tribute for Smith and Erickson.
