‘Neighborhood News’ Archives
Mayor Cancelled Meeting for Monday August 25th on Weekend of 23-24
Statement from EPNI Over this weekend, the Mayor’s office canceled a meeting with EPNI scheduled for Monday, August 25th, to discuss an amendment to the purchase agreement for the Roof Depot site, which EPNI proposed on June 27th. “It’s deeply disappointing given we are a mere three weeks away from the original closing date in the purchase agreement,” said Karen Clark, former State Legislator and EPNI board member, “After waiting two long months for a response, we were looking forward to finally hearing the Mayor’s intentions around the future of the Roof Depot site.” Two years ago, EPNI agreed to a purchase price of $15.9 million for the Roof Depot site, four times higher than the site’s appraised value of $3.7 million. At the time, the State Legislature committed to subsidizing $12.2 million of that price and EPNI was asked to secure $3.7 million, which EPNI did. The state agreed to subsidize that purchase, and pay back money that the city [...]
EPNI invites city government to accept $10.2 million deal for Roof Depot purchase
By JOE KYLE On August 12th, the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) held a press conference with Little Earth neighbors and community partners to encourage the government of Minneapolis to accept an offer from EPNI to purchase the Roof Depot site for $10.2 million in order to allow for EPNI and its investors to immediately begin constructing an urban farm, which will serve the community as a source of affordable and nutritious food, jobs, education, and affordable renewable energy. EPNI and Minneapolis had initially reached an agreement in 2023 for EPNI to purchase the Roof Depot site for a total of $15.9 million by the closing date of September 15th, 2025, with the understanding that the state government of Minnesota would subsidize $12.2 million of the purchase price. In 2023, the State did allocate $6.5 million, but due to federal funding cuts this year, the state failed to deliver the remaining $5.7 million this year. As noted by EPNI Communications [...]
One Community, Many Voices
Introducing the Phillips Community Oral History Project By PHILLIPS COMMUNITY ORAL HISTORY PROJECT PARTNERS Alley Communications and the United Phillips Coalition are excited to announce the launch of the Phillips Community Oral History Project! Three years ago, neighborhood organization staff and members of Alley Communications (publisher of the alley), began discussing ways to collaborate to empower residents to tell their own stories. This discussion resulted in the launch of the Community Journalism Training Program, an 18-month project of Alley Communications, Journalism of Color Training Center, and Phillips West Neighborhood Organization (PWNO). Around the same time, PWNO also began working collaboratively with Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association, Inc. (MPNAI) and the East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC) to better serve the whole of Phillips by establishing the United Phillips Coalition. Since then our relationships have grown and the mission [...]
