Minneapolis council members push for different developer at 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
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.
The council members held a 10 a.m. news conference on Tuesday ahead of a 1:30 p.m. committee meeting where the council will consider moving forward with a agreement with Agape.
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.
Tuesday's vote, pending full council approval, would begin the process of the sale of the property to Agape – if they can secure the funding for the project.
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."