Community group calls for restart to Minneapolis 2040 Plan
MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Weeks after city leaders unveiled their plans for Minneapolis over the next two decades, some residents are asking to go back to the drawing board.
Former City Council Member Lisa McDonald stood with supporters on a corner near Loring Park Tuesday, sharply criticizing the city’s 2040 Plan. She calls the 2040 Plan a botched process that pretended to listen to residents and demands a do-over.
“Because the city has failed to engage the community in any meaningful way, Minneapolis for Everyone calls on the Mayor and City Council to stop the process and restart it,” said McDonald.
The city says they had more than 200 community meetings going over the initial draft.
“It was about putting a post-it note on a board,” said Jana Metge of the Loring Park Neighborhood Association. “It was not about participation and engagement.”
Metge says the Association’s concern is zoning changes to allow more high rise apartments. She fears the older buildings would be torn down, causing the neighborhood to lose not just character, but affordability. She says property owners in the area are already receiving calls from developers.
“The minute it was posted online,” said Metge. “So to me that says there’s some plan to expand downtown at the expense of the neighborhood and that’s not fair.”
There’s already been backlash over the initial proposal to allow four-plexes on city home lots. The city has since backed that to tri-plexes.
Minneapolis for All wants more changes and does not worry they may be too late to the game.
“I would rather do this than sit home and after the fact, say, ‘Gosh if only we’d done something’ - so we’re doing something,” said McDonald.