More than three years after protestors burned the Minneapolis police Third Precinct building following George Floyd’s murder, a local committee is seeking community input on its plan to turn the site into a Black cultural center.
The group presented its ideas to dozens of community members Monday night at the Hook and Ladder Theater and Lounge, next door to the former precinct building in south Minneapolis.
The old Third Precinct building remains barricaded and fenced off. Last year, the Minneapolis City Council decided that police should not return to the site, and voted for a new precinct building and community safety center to be built nearby, at 2633 Minnehaha Ave S.
Frederick Brathwaite, a local restaurant owner, is leading the effort to turn the site into the Minneapolis Black Cultural Center. He said the vacant Third Precinct building is a painful reminder of what happened in May 2020.
“It’s been standing there since it happened,” he said. “Nothing has been done with it. Every day, reminding us of what happened and giving us pain in our hearts.”
Renderings of the proposed site show tall buildings which Brathwaite said are inspired by African head wraps. The buildings would house a museum of Black history, a memorial for those killed by police, and community spaces that include a basketball court and a health and wellness center.
Brathwaite said there isn’t currently a dedicated place like the proposed center to celebrate Black culture in the Twin Cities, and it’s needed.
“We don’t have this,” he said. “We want something unique that’s going to bless our community. It’s going to bless our city, our state and our country.”
Total cost of the project has not been finalized, but Brathwaite said it would cost millions. However, he said he is not concerned about garnering enough financial support.
Eli Zmira, an associate for DJR Architecture which is working pro bono with Brathwaite, emphasized that the plans are in their early stages and need support from the city before they can move forward.
The city owns the property and has the final say on what the former Third Precinct building will become. Several city councilors were in the audience at Monday’s meeting. Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley said at the meeting that the city is looking at turning most of the site into a voter service center.
Many community members who attended the meeting supported Brathwaite’s idea, calling the buildings “beautiful.” But they also expressed concern about costs and the logistics of operating the center.
Kevin Washington, a Minneapolis resident who grew up in the area, said he supports the vision, and urged other community members to be patient as it takes shape.
“It has to start somewhere,” Washington said. “Dream big, and then you find the right people to get the foundation moving. I love the idea.”
Jeanelle Austin, executive director of the George Floyd Global Memorial said at the meeting that it’s important that families who have lost loved ones to police violence have a say in what happens to the Third Precinct site. Austin also questioned if it’s too soon to release a specific design for the site.*
“These are real people,” Austin said. “These are real families. There are impacted families in this room right now, from the Third Precinct and other law enforcement entities. I think it is extremely important that we have to put people over property.”
Brathwaite said his next step is to meet with city officials to discuss his ideas for the site.
The group is asking the public to share their thoughts by contacting it on Instagram at @mplsblackculturalcenter, on Facebook at Minneapolis Black Cultural Center, and via email at mplsblackculturalcenter@gmail.com.
This story has been updated to clarify a quote from Jeanelle Austin.
