On March 24 and April 7, the Uptown Association hosted meetings to discuss the Safety Ambassador program, crime and parking. Both meetings were well attended, with several hundred residents and business owners at each.
According to association leaders Andrea Corbin and Judy Long- bottom, “The Uptown Association is incredibly grateful to be part of the bright future of Uptown. We will continue to work toward solutions and collaboration with the residents and businesses in our community. Thank you to all who have shown up, emailed and called. Let's keep the momentum going.”
At the first meeting, Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, Director of Design and Implementation Amanda Harrington and Deputy Director of Neighborhood Safety Lea Lakes explained the Safety Ambassador pilot program.
The program will be piloted along East Lake Street and Franklin Avenue. This means that the community will need to work together to improve safety in the Up- town neighborhood, as little can be expected from the city alone.
Council Members Katie Cash-man of Ward 7 and Aisha Chughtai of Ward 10 responded to safety concerns by directing people to contact Mayor Jacob Frey.
Their position was that they had approved the necessary funding for the Safety Ambassador program, but that implementation is the responsibility of Frey and Barnette.
Barnette and his staff explained that the purpose of the pilot is to ensure the program's success. Their analysis of the downtown Safety Ambassador program suggests that, given the funding and infrastructure, long-term success is more likely if they can test the program and tools before expanding it to more areas of the city.
At the second meeting, Frey attended and took questions about parking and safety. He acknowledged the obstacles Uptown has faced and noted that its recovery has been slower than in other parts of the city.
He also told the crowd that crime is decreasing citywide. Frey promised more free parking on 27th and 28th streets, but attendees were more concerned about the parking removed on Hennepin Avenue in front of storefronts.
The Proposed Solutions
Solutions being pursued by the Uptown Association include creating a business improvement district that would encompass Lyn-Lake and Lowry Hill, in addition to Uptown, and actively recruiting businesses to move into the area. The goal is to attract 30 to 40 new businesses to increase foot traffic.
There will be a farmers market on Thursday nights starting in June. On Sept. 20, Open Streets will take over Hennepin Avenue, and an art activation series is currently underway inside the Seven Points mall.
Open Streets Minneapolis transforms major city roads into lively, car-free spaces filled with music, food, art and community activities, creating vibrant gatherings organized by the city and local partners.
Other recent changes include the opening of Moona Moono café in the former Paper Source location and the purchase of the former Apple Store building and the Granada Theater by Peter Remes, owner of First & First, a property development company.
Uptown may or may not see more support from the city, but business owners and residents have grown impatient. People are showing up to be heard — they came to these public discussions, and if all goes well, they will continue to show up and support Uptown businesses to ensure they stay open and viable.
