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Businesses, residents protest Metro Transit Blue Line Extension
Community members are accusing the Met Council and Hennepin County leaders of failing to prevent the displacement of local businesses and residents during the extension of the Metro Transit Blue Line.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Residents and business owners held a protest outside Metro Transit headquarters to address displacement concerns, adding that government officials are failing to meet racial justice requirements.
Raw footage of the news conference and protest can be viewed above.
READ MORE: Blue Line Extension faces votes from Minneapolis, Crystal, Brooklyn Park
Blue Line Extension protest
What they're saying:
During the protest, community members said funding to fight displacement from the Metro Transit Blue Line Extension was delayed, and a meeting with the Corridor Management Committee was recently canceled.
KB Brown, owner of Wolfpack Promotionals in Minneapolis, which is on the Blue Line Extension Corridor, said, "The betrayal of Hennepin County has been the biggest issue for me."
Brown then added, "We’ve had no actual progress from the county, they refuse to actually adhere to what the legislation says that gave us the authority to have this money. "
Elizabeth Coco, from the Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program Board, said the communities along the corridor have the "Most to gain, but also have the most to lose if this project doesn’t move forward the way it should."
Hennepin County, Met Council respond
The other side:
Hennepin County sent the following statement to FOX 9:
"Hennepin County remains deeply committed to preventing displacement and ensuring that the Blue Line extension becomes a generational investment benefiting those most impacted.
"We’ve leaned in and really listened - making significant adaptations to our processes as a direct result of our engagement with the ACPP board. These changes reflect our effort to better support community leadership while responsibly following the law and safeguarding public funds."
The Met Council sent this statement regarding the protests:
"We thank the Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program Board for leading this important work. We understand through strong partnerships with all public sponsors, philanthropy, the private sector, and community members, we will enhance an already vibrant and thriving corridor.
"While we continue to work with our federal partners to advance the project, our collective commitment to community-centered development and anti-displacement remains a priority."
Blue Line details
Dig deeper:
More information on the current Blue Line route can be found here, while more information on the extension project can be found here.
The Source: This story uses information shared in a news release from the community nonprofit The Alliance and information from the protest.