Minneapolis council members push for different developer at George Floyd Square
George Floyd Square developer concerns
Debate continues after several Minneapolis City Council members have begun to protest the chosen partner to help develop the area around George Floyd Square.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis council members are calling on Mayor Jacob Frey to reconsider his choice for the developer of the People's Way community site at George Floyd Square.
Push for new developer
Mpls City Council denies developer for George Floyd Square
The Minneapolis City Council denied Minnesota Agape Movement as the developers of George Floyd Square. FOX 9's Karen Scullin has more.
What we know:
Council Members Jason Chavez and Soren Stevenson are poised to call on Mayor Jacob Frey to reconsider his choice of the Minnesota Agape Movement as the developer for the community site.
A committee in the Minneapolis City Council ultimately denied the Agape recommendation, which could mean that the entire year and a half process to choose a developer could start over.
"I'm concerned that awarding Minnesota Agape Movement exclusive rights to the People's Way site ignores the clearly stated community input, organizational capacity for development, feasibility of the project, and issues with with the proposed timeline," City Councilmember Soren Stevenson said.
Push for new George Floyd Square developer
Minneapolis City Council Members Soren Stevenson and Jason Chavez are urging their colleagues and Mayor Frey to reconsider granting exclusive development rights of the People's Way site at George Floyd Square to the Minnesota Agape Movement. According to the council members, a city-commissioned survey showed the community preferred a proposal from Rise and Remember over the Agape Movement.
Future of George Floyd Square
The backstory:
The City of Minneapolis is making preps this week before road construction starts next week at George Floyd Square.
The designs for the square will keep the intersectio an open layout. A raised intersection will be created at the Floyd memorial site with dedicated on-street parking in the area.
People's Way, the former Speedway Gas station at the intersection, will be converted into a community gathering space. Earlier this month, Mayor Frey announced the city had selected the Minnesota Agape Movement to run the site.
Agape Movement's design for the People's Way site. (Supplied)
Dig deeper:
Agape served a key role at George Floyd Square following Floyd's death. The "violence interruptor" organization served as a bridge between the community and the police department at a time when tensions were high between law enforcement and members of the community.
The group provided community policing in the months after George Floyd's death in the area and helped
The other side:
After Agape was chosen, Council Member Chavez pointed out that the results of a community survey favored a proposal from the Rise and Remember Foundation.
The Rise and Remember plan called for demolishing the gas station and converting the space to a memorial garden and greenhouse. Agape plans to convert the former gas station into a six-story community building with a museum, business incubator, music and media center, entertainment venue, and rooftop garden.
Both groups planned to use grants and fundraising to fund their projects.
What they're saying:
During the morning news conference, Chavez and Stevenson raised concerns about the timeline of the project, saying a final decision on the project might not be made until 2029. There's also concerns from the council members that Agape may not have the experience to see the project through.
"When it comes to organizational capacity and feasibility, we are concerned that the Minnesota Agape movement may not have the experience and support for carrying out this proposed project," Stevenson said. "Their specialty is not in real estate development or memorial sites."
The council members also raised concerns about the size of Agape's project compared to Rise and Remember's proposal.
"Rise and Remember's is more about a refurbishment, about improving the site as is, while the other one is a six-story building," Stevenson said. "And so, for two organizations that don't have any development experience, one that's a refurbishment is much more realistic."
Big picture view:
When announcing Agape as the developer, the mayor's office explained the choice, saying:
"George Floyd Square carries significant meaning for Minneapolis and for people around the world," said Mayor Jacob Frey at the time. "We’re looking forward to partnering with Agape and the community as we take this next step together to continue building toward the long-term vision for the Square."
"We’ve done a lot of work in the last several years to ensure the community’s voice is centered at George Floyd Square," added Alexander Kado, senior project manager for the City of Minneapolis. "Throughout the RFQ process, Agape demonstrated a deep commitment to collaborating with both the City and the community to realize a site that truly honors the Square."