City briefs - Nov 16, 2023

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is planning work at The Mall in uptown that runs parallel to the Midtown Greenway between Hennepin Ave. and Lake of the Isle. The improvements will be made next year along with a Met Council sewer project in the area. Planned changes include a new “woonerf” street design, a better connection to the greenway, and the replacement of two blocks of road with green space. Public meetings about the project were planned for Nov. 8, 2023, at Whittier Recreation Center, and Nov. 14, at Painter Recreation Center. To learn more minneapolisparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/4_park_concepts_m-q_a.pdf.

 

The preservation project to replace the roof and repair the windows, brick, and stone of the Linden Hills Library is complete. It was closed for repairs last May and reopened on Monday, Nov. 13 with regularly scheduled hours from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and from noon-8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Built in 1931, the library has received local historic designation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Due to the recent fire at the former Kmart building, its demolition will be sooner than previously expected. City officials marked the start of the demolition process with a press release and appearance on Oct. 30, outside the boarded building near Lake Street and Nicollet.  

 

On Nov. 29, there will be a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) policy board ordinance.  If approved, they would double, from four to eight, the number of neighborhood representatives on the board and require elections of representatives on even years at the city’s Community Connections Conference. Each city-recognized neighborhood organization would send a delegate to vote on behalf of their neighborhood organization for one district representative and two at-large representatives. There would be six new NRP Districts. The district geographical boundaries would be determined by the NRP policy board. 

 

The Minneapolis city council and mayor have approved buying the one-story industrial building in Seward at 2633 Minnehaha Ave. for a future Community Safety Center/3rd Police Precinct facility. The council also passed a resolution requesting a comprehensive overview of how the proposed center will contribute to the implementation of the Safe and Thriving Communities service model and a list of community safety functions that the mayor and city staff have proposed being co-located there. 

 

On Nov. 2, the federal Justice Department (DOJ) announced that Minneapolis would be joining more than 50 other jurisdictions who are part of the department’s National Public Safety Partnership, which they report “has a proven track record of helping partner sites reduce crime, improve homicide clearance rates, and enhance the quality of life for community members.” Beatrice Grimala, an Assistance Chief with the Los Angeles Police Department, was identified as the “strategic site liaison” to Minneapolis’ police department. The three-year commitment, according to the DOJ website, allows participating cities to consult with and receive expedited, coordinated training and technical assistance and “an array of resources from DOJ to enhance local public safety strategies.”