News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Monday January 12th 2026
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 Director Darby Ottoson, this outstanding $5.7 million was intended to replace money the city government had seized from its own Water Treatment and Distribution Fund as part of its larger plan to demolish the Roof Depot site and replace it with an expanded public works facility. … Read the rest “EPNI invites city government to accept $10.2 million deal for Roof Depot purchase ”
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 to foster community stories has developed into a new initiative—the Phillips Community Oral History Project.
Earlier this year, Alley Communications and United Phillips received funding to facilitate the project through two sources: the City of Minneapolis Partnership Engagement Fund and the University of Minnesota Liberal Arts Engagement Hub Residency program.
Those of us with ties to the four neighborhoods that make up Phillips know our community has a rich history spanning culture, industries, justice movements, and generations.… Read the rest “One Community, Many Voices”
Keep citizen journalism alive!
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 sunk into its plan for the Roof Depot site – a plan which had record-breaking public backlash – because our legislators saw clearly how the neighborhood’s vision for the site will bring tax revenue, a strengthened local food system, overdue healing, and countless other benefits to ripple through and beyond East Phillips.… Read the rest “Mayor Cancelled Meeting for Monday August 25th on Weekend of 23-24”