News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Sunday November 10th 2024

Minneapolis City Council returns borrowed Neighborhood Funding

BY JANA METGE

Minneapolis City Council President Barb Johnson, Councilmember Cam Gordon, and Councilmember Kevin Reich are superstars to Minneapolis neighborhoods. Working diligently and quietly, they found a way to return once approved Neighborhood Revitalization dollars to the Minneapolis Neighborhoods that had been borrowed from individual neighborhoods in 2010 during the transition between the NRP (Neighborhood Revitalization Program) and NCR (Neighborhood Community Relations Dept.) Transition.

For Midtown Phillips this means an additional $73,000 for neighborhood Revitalization projects! Cedar Riverside neighborhood will see $211,000. The Downtown Neighborhoods will see $273,000. For the Loring Park Neighborhood, at a time when gunfire is at an all-time high on Nicollet Ave., it brings in an additional $150,000 to help with Revitalization and Neighborhood Safety. Lowry Hill will see their $134,000 of revitalization dollars. For the East Phillips Neighborhood it is $146,000. These funds could continue revitalization work which has turned around parts of Bloomington Ave and the Neighborhood. Standish-Ericcson will see $196,000. Monday, January 30th this City Council Committee action was passed, and then followed by City Council approval.

Neighborhoods who had just begun their Neighborhood Revitalization Phase II Implementation and had funds approved by the City Council, had these funds borrowed to support neighborhoods who had spent down their NRP funds in December 2010. This occurred during the transition of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program to what we now know as the Neighborhood Community Relations Department and Community Participation funding.

Thanks to these three (3) Councilmembers never forgetting about a promise to repay Neighborhoods. Neighborhoods will now be able to contract their once allocated NRP Phase II money and implement many projects envisioned within their 10-year NRP Phase II plan.

Neighborhood revitalization funds have been used these past 20 years for new housing construction (Check out Bloomington Ave. So. from 24th Street to Lake Street), homeownership downpayment grants, Housing Rehab loans (both rental & ownership housing), Commercial Corridor Revitalization (check out Mercado Centrale, Plaza Verde on Bloomington/Lake & Midtown Exchange on Chicago/Lake, the Midtown Greenway, Commercial Facade Improvements (check out Eat Street), New Park Buildings (check out Phelps Park in the Bryant neighborhood), Park Improvements (check out Loring Park), Public Realm Improvements (check out 4th Ave & Lake Street), Pedestrian Lighting, Tree Plantings in Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Signage, Bike Paths & Bridges, and Library Improvements.

Many thanks to Council President Barb Johnson, Councilmember Kevin Reich, Council Committee Chair Cam Gordon and to all of the Councilmembers supporting this action and returning these neighborhood funds!!

Thank you Minneapolis City Council!

Contact CLPC at loveloring@gmail.com if you would like a copy of neighborhood investments over these 25 years utilizing the Neighborhood Revitalization funding. There are many, many fabulous examples of revitalization projects in each and every neighborhood!

Become involved in your neighborhood!

If you want it Resolved, Get Involved!

Pull up Minneapolis Neighborhoods and you will find a map outlining which neighborhood you live in!

Related Images:

Leave a Reply

Copyright © 2024 Alley Communications - Contact the alley