The city of Minneapolis has announced four community-wide discussions regarding a future building for the Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD’s) 3rd Precinct between April 11 and April 19.
The two sites under consideration are the former precinct facility at 3000 Minnehaha Ave. and a vacant City-owned lot at 2600 Minnehaha Ave. These were chosen after a survey of several potential sites, which was conducted from July 2020 through December 2022. This survey considered each site’s advantages as well as potential obstacles to access and construction.
The community meetings are:
- Business owner session: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge, 3010 Minnehaha Ave.
- General public session: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St.
- General public session: 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 15, at Roosevelt High School, 4029 28th Ave. S.
- General public session: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19. Location to be determined.
The 3rd Precinct building was burned and significantly damaged during the uprising following George Floyd’s murder in May, 2020. Since then, 3rd Precinct officers have worked from a downtown facility, outside the precinct’s boundaries. (The 3rd Precinct covers the area east of Interstate 35W and south of Interstate 94.)
The goal of the community meetings “is to collect feedback from community members to help inform decisions about the location of the 3rd Precinct function,” the City’s email said.
The question is whether the City will listen to the community or go through the motions.
“Snacks and beverages will be available at sessions, with meal vouchers provided to the first 100 people attending the Midtown Global Market session,” the City said.
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