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Street reconstruction is slated to start at George Floyd Square next year, after years of debate over how best to memorialize the intersection where a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd in 2020.
The Minneapolis City Council approved a plan Thursday. It calls for rebuilt streets that will be open to traffic and buses, with space set aside for gardens and memorials.
Council member Andrea Jenkins, whose district includes part of the square, said she was glad to see the plan finally pass.
“I think this community has indicated that they’re ready to move forward… and I think we really owe it to this community to listen,” Jenkins said.
It was the council’s second vote on the same plan; in a vote a year ago, they rejected it and instead opted to consider building a pedestrian-only plaza at the site. Five council members changed their votes from last year, approving the plan in a 9 to 4 vote Thursday.
Residents, businesses and city officials gave deeply divided opinions on the question of what to do with the square.
City staff started surveying community members in 2021, knocking on doors and holding meetings to ask neighbors what they wanted to see at the site. A majority of respondents to a city survey asked the city to keep the streets open to traffic. Local businesses were especially vocal in support for open streets during continued engagement.
City staff proposed a street reconstruction design in 2024 that they said reflected the community feedback.
But many residents and community activists pushed back. Some said they didn’t want to see the streets open to traffic; some neighbors who maintain the current memorial in the square were opposed to the city making changes at all, arguing that it wasn’t the city’s place to decide the future of the site.
That led to the city council’s vote against the plan a year ago.
The changed vote this week came after a presentation from city staff earlier this month on the logistics of creating a pedestrian plaza. They estimated it would take longer, as the city would need to meet legal requirements of getting approval from property owners before breaking ground. Business leaders and some neighbors also gave public comment urging council members to pass the open street plan.
Council member Aurin Chowdhury voted in favor of the plan Thursday, after voting against it last year. She said she switched her vote reluctantly, and said some city leaders didn’t give the pedestrian mall idea fair consideration.
“This council has been put in a position where there’s no will or ability for our mayor and this administration to move on any other plan. That’s just a fact of the matter,” Chowdhury said. “There’s no will to do pedestrian mall from them, and that’s really disappointing.”
She urged the city to make it easy for community members to continue holding gatherings and memorials in the square, including waiving permit fees to close the intersection to traffic, and working with community members to schedule regular closures.
Council members Katie Cashman, Jamal Osman, Jeremiah Ellison and Emily Koski also switched their votes to support the plan. Jason Chavez, Aisha Chughtai, Robin Wonsley and Elliott Payne held their votes against it. Council members Michael Rainville, Linea Palmisano and LaTrisha Vetaw joined Jenkins in voting for it a second time.
The council also passed a resolution urging city planners to consider a report from community members outlining their desires for the square. In a memo, Public Works Director Tim Sexton said many of those aims would be possible in the approved open street plan, and could be worked in to the final designs.
Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that he welcomed the vote.
“Thousands of voices shaped this plan, and today we turned years of work into real progress,” Frey said. “Approving the flexible open option means we are finally moving forward together."
City staff said construction can start in 2026. They estimate it will cost about $11 million.
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