🏛️ Future of George Floyd Square still undecided

Minneapolis City Council Still Debating Future of George Floyd Square

Cars now pass through the intersection of 38th St. and Chicago Ave., which was occupied by protestors for over a year after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police in 2020. There has been a lot of debate on how to go about redeveloping this area in the past five years, and the Minneapolis City Council is still undecided. Here's a recap of the back-and-forth so far. [MPR]

• Competing plans: In December of 2024, the City Council voted against a mixed-use plan proposed by the Frey administration that would reinstate bus service on Chicago Ave., create wider sidewalks and bike lanes, and not allow any traffic over the location where George Floyd was killed. The council instead opted for a plan for a pedestrian mall that would limit vehicles in the area to local use and create a cul-de-sac and public pedestrian plaza on Chicago Ave. [Star Tribune]
• Pedestrian mall controversy: The pedestrian mall plan was unveiled in an August 2025 report, and it drew criticism from local business owners despite support from progressive City Council members and memorial advocates. The business owners were worried that the pedestrian mall design would disincentivise foot traffic with less parking and cause problems with deliveries if alleyway access was restricted. [Sahan Journal]
• What's next? Even though the City Council rejected the mixed-use plan already, they just voted to revive it as an option in an upcoming vote. A City Council committee will be reviewing a study on the pedestrian mall next week, and they will have a final vote on which plan to move forward with on Dec. 11. [MPR]

Equitable brews: Indeed Brewing came to a tentative agreement with its workers for their first contract since Indeed voluntarily recognized their union in April of 2024. Negotiations were long, but as a Northeaster, I'm proud that some of my favorite brews are coming from folks who are getting paid fairly. [Unite Local 17 / Northeaster]

Team Her: St. Paul Mayor-elect Kaohly Her has named her transition team, led by Erica Schumacher and her campaign manager Hnu Vang, to start shaping her administration. The transition team is in charge of a lot, from picking department heads to planning her inauguration. When asked if she plans to replace the city's top staff, Her said she plans to "do an evaluation" of current department leadership rather than immediately bringing on an entirely new slate. [Pioneer Press / Yahoo News]

Mary Lucia is "Harder to Relate To": Iconic longtime radio DJ Mary Lucia was joined by her beloved pugs on an episode of the City Cast Twin Cities podcast to share about her new memoir out tomorrow, where she recounts the harrowing story of dealing with a stalker while many people in her life dismissed her concerns. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

High hopes: As co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Rep. Ilhan Omar is pushing for a carve-out in the new federal hemp‑THC ban to protect states like Minnesota that already regulate THC products. She argues that states should decide their own rules instead of being shut out by sweeping federal policy. [Marijuana Moment]

Shared bins, shared budget: St. Paul is approving a pilot program that lets neighbors in duplexes and triplexes share trash carts and split the cost. The city hopes the initiative will reduce the number of extra bins on the curb and aid in reducing housing costs. Watch your waste if you're sharing, though – the City of St. Paul says they will revoke sharing privileges from properties that regularly have overflowing bins. [Pioneer Press]

Monday, November 24

• 👂 Group Perceptual Silence in "The Quietest Place on Earth" | Orfield Laboratories
• 🎂 Coffee & Cake (Cake Painting) | Càphin Mpls
• 🎵 Honey Grl (EP Release) | Pilllar Forum
• 🧩 Golden Girls Themed Team Jigsaw Puzzle Contest | BlackStack Brewing
• 🗣️ Let’s Talk: Cross-Racial Coalition, Past, Present, and Future | Penumbra Theatre
• 🏃 Foam Dodgeball | Sabathani Community Center
• 🎷 Kirk Whalum | The Dakota

Tuesday, November 25

• 🎞️ Serpentina Film Fest: Celebrating Latinidad Through Short Films | Parkway Theater
• 🎵 Charlie Parr 🆓 | 331 Club
• 🎹 The Black Note | Amsterdam
• 🤓 Nerd Nite MPLS: Yo-Yos, Parasitic Bugs & Ublock Origin 🆓 | Eat Street Crossing
• 🦃 Turkey Gathering 🆓 | Frogtown Community Center
• 🎤 Nate Walker & Friends presents Friendsgiving | Green Room
• 📚 Stephanie Hansen presents True North Cabin Cookbook 🆓 | Magers & Quinn

• Vision Zero Program Coordinator (Senior Transportation Planner) at City of Minneapolis Public Works | $105k - $123k per year
• Governmental Affairs Manager at Minnesota Nurses Association | $101k - $189k per year
• Marketing & Communications Manager at Bridging | $65k - $70k per year
• Sr Tech Support Analyst at American Public Media | $90k - $95k per year
• Let's Read Lead Tutor at Hennepin County Library | $22.00 - $33.11 per hour