By Lindsey Fenner and Laura Hulscher
All the Ward 6 and Ward 9 City Council Candidates on the Ballot in November:
Candidates for City of Minneapolis elections had an August 10 deadline to file to be on the November ballot. Candidates for Ward 6 City Council (which includes Ventura Village and Phillips West in the Phillips neighborhood: Jamal Osman (incumbent) and A. Bihi. Candidates for Ward 9 City Council (which includes East Phillips and Midtown Phillips in the Phillips Neighborhood): Mickey Moore, Yussuf Haji, Brenda Short, Ross Tenneson, Carmen Means, Jason Chavez, Alfred “AJ” Flowers Jr., and Jon Randall Denison. Look for a City Council candidate questionnaire in upcoming editions of the alley!
Long Vacant 628 East Franklin to Be Developed into Affordable Housing: City of Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT) and Hope Community have entered into an agreement with the City of Minneapolis to turn the historic vacant building at 628 East Franklin Avenue into perpetually affordable housing. The building has been vacant for over 20 years, as various redevelopment plans have fallen through. The plan submitted by CLCLT in partnership with Hope Community will renovate the gutted building into seven condo units: six 3-bed, 2-bath units and one 1-bed, 1-bath unit, affordable to households at or below 60% Area Median Income. Hope Community operates over 200 affordable housing units in the Phillips neighborhood, including the nearby South Quarter affordable housing community at Franklin and Portland.
Drop In Behavioral Health Center Now Open at 1800 Chicago: Hennepin County”™s new Behavioral Health Clinic is open to anyone 18 and older needing help with mental health or substance use. Services include urgent care and physical screening; Housing, cash and food support; and Mental health and substance use services such as
- Mental health screening and diagnostic assessments
- Comprehensive screening for addiction disorders
- Case management and care coordination
- Support from people with lived experience
- Help in a crisis, including 3”“10 day stay at the crisis stabilization program
- Withdrawal support from drugs and alcohol
Current hours Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM, with expanded hours coming soon. 1800 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis Enter behind building off Columbus Avenue. For more information: 612-879-3115
24th Avenue Pedestrian Bridge Reopens: After a three-year closure due to the 35W construction project, the pedestrian bridge crossing 35W at 24th Avenue is now rebuilt and reopened. The foot path connects the Phillips and Whittier neighborhood. To celebrate, the MN Department of Transportation buried a time capsule which included a face mask with a traffic cone print, a marionette from Open Eye Theatre, and contributions from Washburn High School and Lyndale Community School. The official bridge reopening on August 19 was celebrated with food, music, arts, and entertainment.
shortly before it”™s demolition in 2018. The newly
rebuilt bridge reopened in August 2021. Photo by Tony Webster.
Minneapolis Bans Large Truck Parking, Enforced Beginning January 1, 2022: In late July, the City of Minneapolis passed an ordinance banning trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds from parking on Minneapolis streets. Operators have a grace period before being fined for violating the ordinance, as the City works on education and outreach to help trucking companies and drivers find suitable parking. The ordinance will be enforced beginning in January 2022, with a fine of $100 in 2022, increasing to $150 in 2023, and $250 in 2024 and after. On-street large truck parking has long been a problem for both residents and truck drivers. According to a 2019 MN Department of Transportation study, the Minneapolis-St.Paul metro area has a significant shortage of truck parking. Many trucks parked overnight belong to owner-operators who live in Minneapolis. The ordinance includes a directive for city staff to work on regional policy solutions to the parking shortage.
Midtown Greenway Glow, September 18, 4-10PM: The Midtown Greenway Coalition will be hosting the Greenway Glow Festival, a free outdoor event along the Midtown Greenway. The Glow features dozens of local artists. Bike, walk, or roll along the Greenway to experience live music, art installations, and theatrical performances.
Proposal to rename Columbus Avenue: A group of residents living along Columbus Avenue have launched an initiative to change the name to Oyáte Avenue (a Dakota language word meaning “the people”). The change is envisioned as “one small piece in the long ongoing work of dismantling white supremacy.” The avenue in question runs from 18th Street to 62nd Street in Minneapolis. To learn more or participate, visit https://www.oyateavenue.org or https://www.facebook.com/oyate.avenue. Sign up for updates at: https://www.oyateavenue.org/contact-us
