A new group is calling for more community involvement in the city’s plans to turn the former Minneapolis Police Third Precinct building into a democracy center.
The 3000 Minnehaha Coalition introduced itself Tuesday outside the burned and barricaded building, which is still encircled in razor wire more than four years after it was damaged in protests following George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police. The coalition is made up of south Minneapolis community organizations such as the Center for Transformative Urban Design, The Legacy Building and Redesign Inc., among others.
The city said earlier this year that it wants to turn the space into a democracy center, which would include office space for the city’s elections department, an early voting center and a warehouse to store equipment. The plan would set aside 8,000 square feet for community use.
Coalition members criticized aspects of the city’s plans for the site, citing concerns about how a large warehouse would affect the neighborhood, and noting that many residents are unable to vote due to their immigration status. They say the community should have total control over the project to ensure residents’ needs are met.
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The group said it supports turning the building – located at the intersection of Minnehaha Avenue and Lake Street in a busy commercial area – into a democracy center. But group members said the project needs more community oversight. They also stressed the importance of a space that would support communities of color and those struggling with homelessness or addiction.
The coalition also said that the city’s plans haven’t acknowledged the grief and pain associated with the site. Protesters broke into the building and set it on fire in 2020 days after then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine-and-a-half minutes as two other officers pinned him stomach-down in the street. Floyd, who was suspected of using a fake $20 bill, fell unconscious as several bystanders, including children and an off-duty Minneapolis firefighter, yelled at the officers to relent and to check Floyd’s pulse.
“People come to this intersection from all over the world, and this space could be healing and welcoming, and something that we can all be proud of,” said Jamie Schwesnedl, owner of Moon Palace Books, which is located down the street from the Third Precinct.
Community members have also voiced discontent about the process, and say they haven’t felt heard.
The coalition isn’t opposed to the concept of a democracy center, said member Duaba Unenra, but the project should be spearheaded by community members.
“We aim to facilitate a truly democratic process of community-led redevelopment of the former third precinct site into a public space for our neighbors,” Unenra said.
Unenra is also the co-founder of Confluence: An East Lake Studio for Community Design, a neighborhood group that supports diverse development of the Third Precinct.
Confluence has been involved for years in community engagement efforts regarding the building’s future. Confluence also launched its own process for residents to submit their ideas about what they want to see at the site. Unenra said about 300 people have participated so far; Friday is the last day to submit ideas.
City staff have been gathering feedback on the democracy center proposal, and plan to present their findings to the City Council next month before they move forward with the plan. While the city already owns the building and does not need council approval to turn it into a democracy center, it will need approval for funding.
Unenra said he is optimistic the 3000 Minnehaha Coalition will be able to partner with the city and meet its goals, and that the group has received support from some City Council members. The council criticized the city’s plan when it was first presented to them in April.
“We have an opportunity to win this struggle, because the mayor has butchered this process,” Unenra said.
The city hosted multiple community engagement sessions this summer to gather input on the plan, including an open house, in-person discussions and an online survey. Meetings were also held in Spanish and Somali.
The city released findings from its survey Tuesday, showing that 63 percent of participants from across the city supported the democracy center plan.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that the community has been “at the heart” of the redevelopment process.
“Our City has already held seven engagement sessions with residents and conducted a survey to gather input on the future of the site,” Frey said. “The survey results show clear support for transforming the site into a democracy center and a community space. We’ll continue to gather input to ensure our shared vision comes to life, but what we won’t do is sit on our hands while the Third Precinct sits vacant. It’s time to move forward.”
The city plans to host another open house on October 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, 1530 E. Franklin Ave., in Minneapolis.
Third Precinct officers have been working out of an office in downtown Minneapolis, and will later move into a new South Minneapolis Community Safety Center at 2633 Minnehaha Ave., about a half of a mile away from the old site. The center is expected to open early next year.
