Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis City Council to vote on George Floyd Square construction
The Minneapolis City Council is expected to vote Thursday on whether or not to rebuild streets surrounding George Floyd Square, where city police murdered Floyd in 2020.
The construction proposal for the intersection at 38th Street South and Chicago Avenue drafted by city staff and based on community input, would rebuild the blocks of both streets that touch the intersection. The new roads would be open to cars and buses, and add bike lanes.
The plan also calls for widened sidewalks, designated green spaces and room set aside for art and memorials.
Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Minneapolis operations officer, and other staff say it’s time to update the square’s infrastructure, in line with feedback from some residents and business owners who say they want a change.
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
“George Floyd Square needs to be re-envisioned … both to honor the memory of George Floyd and to really have the area that people live in be vibrant and also respectful of the events of the murder of George Floyd,” Kelliher said.
Some residents are pushing back.
They say construction will erase the community-run memorial already standing — along with the ongoing chapter of protest history it represents.
Since 2020, several local residents have led a protest at the site, holding daily community meetings and regular events. For a year after Floyd’s murder, they occupied barricaded streets around the intersection.
The city took down the barricades and reopened the streets to traffic in 2021, but community members remain the primary organizers of the square’s activities: a clothing swap, thousands of offerings left by visitors and iconic works of protest art and memorials.
Jeanelle Austin of Minneapolis speaks at a city council committee meeting on Nov. 12.
Matt Sepic | MPR News
“George Floyd Square matters because of the way in which the people use the space, and the city is trying to systematically erase that,” said Jeanelle Austin, executive director of Rise and Remember, an organization that preserves memorial offerings at the site.
Austin has collected thousands of items that people have left at the square: stuffed animals, artwork, letters, religious sculptures. Once, she picked up a bassinet. Austin learned later that a mother had placed it at the memorial in memory of her child who had passed away — pain she connected to the grief in the square.
Austin doesn’t think city staff understand the weight of the memorial she helps maintain.
“What they don’t get to see — what I get to see — is the fingerprints of the five to ten thousand people who’ve come and laid something that’s a piece of their love, that’s a piece of their heart,” Austin said.
A view of the street sign on the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue during a memorial at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on May 25.
Stephen Maturen for MPR News
Other local residents, and several business owners in the square, have asked the council to move ahead with the city’s plan.
Dwight Alexander is one of the owners of Smoke in the Pit, a barbeque restaurant in the square. He said business has slowed since Floyd’s murder. He says he hears from old customers who don’t know the streets and businesses are open, and he doesn’t get as much foot traffic coming in the door as he used to.
He hopes new streets would alert people that the square is open.
“We want the best for this neighborhood. We want to see the new development,” Alexander said. “Anytime you get something new in the city, everybody will come see it.”
But Austin said the stakes are too high to rush the process.
“If you get it wrong, you will not get a second chance,” she said. “Why do people think that we should have something in four years? That is mind boggling to me.”
An aerial view shows a memorial area in honor of George Floyd on May 24, in Minneapolis.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News
Austin is part of a community group pushing the city to consider an alternative plan. They’re asking the city to give residents a year to come up with their own plan for road construction and street design.
That alternative plan got some traction in earlier city council discussions. Council Member Jason Chavez agreed with protesters’ calls to hold off on construction and instead invest in the neighborhood through housing or other local needs.
“We’re talking about tearing up a street without talking about the investments that 38th Street deserves and needs,” Chavez said. “I think there is a way to address the concerns that community members have.”
But some council members agreed with city staff, saying that surrounding roads are more than 60 years old and have lead pipes underneath.
The city also says it needs to do construction before more work on George Floyd Square. The city’s vision involves eventually working with the Floyd family on a permanent memorial and working with a local organization to redevelop the old Speedway gas station, currently dubbed the People’s Way.
Ward 8 Council member Andrea Jenkins speaks during a press conference on March 14.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
Council member Andrea Jenkins has been advocating for more investment along the 38th Street corridor since before Floyd was killed. She said road construction has long been a need.
“It’s really important that we invest in this community to demonstrate that we do recognize the disinvestments that created the conditions that led to that murder, but also to lay a foundation so that we can create a place of social justice,” Jenkins said at a council meeting last month. “I think this intersection has an opportunity to do just that.”
If the vote passes, city staff will draw up final plans. Construction would start in the summer of 2025 and likely end in 2026. City staff said they would wait to break ground until after May 25, marking five years since Floyd’s murder.
If the proposal fails, the money for construction won’t be in the budget, delaying any construction — and the later work on a memorial and construction at the People’s Way site — for at least a year.
Community members gather at Calvary Lutheran Church in Minneapolis to review the city’s future development plans for the intersection at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, known as George Floyd Square on Oct. 29.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
April 21, 2016.
Ten years later, that day still doesn’t seem real to me.
I was sitting in the newsroom of The Montclair Times in the early afternoon when word came that Prince had died.
I was incredulous. One of my musical heroes was gone. No way.
I was skeptical because I am a reporter. But also because it was Prince — a superstar so secretive and controlling of his music and public image that you could imagine he would have to give his permission to let the world know of his demise.
As the day passed, videos showed grieving fans standing outside his home and music studio complex, Paisley Park, not far from his beloved Minneapolis. That’s when the reality dawned on me.
Prince Rogers Nelson had gone 2 the afterworld at only 57 years old.
He was gone so young — he had so much more music in him to record, release and perform in public for an adoring audience. He died alone after collapsing in an elevator at his complex.
Those things made me sad.
But I was also annoyed at myself. For not being a better aficionado of his music — by never seeing him in person and not collecting every piece of music he ever recorded.
After a few days of listening to the radio and online to “Purple Rain” and “1999” being played ad nauseam, I also heard lesser-known cuts like the heartbreakingly melancholic and sadly appropriate “Sometimes It Snows In April.”
When I heard the depressing reports that he died due to an accidental fentanyl overdose, I resolved to pay proper tribute to The Purple One.
I would go to Minnesota on a Prince Pilgrimage.
‘Nothing Compares 2 U’
April to June 2016.
I said I would go to Minneapolis, to Prince’s home ground, to pay my respects to him. I didn’t think I would go through with booking a ticket on United Airlines from Newark for the weekend before his birthday.
I had used up most of my vacation days and had one to spare, but not another to stay through Prince’s actual born day. Just my luck.
At least I was fulfilling a commitment to an artist I adore.
I wouldn’t say I was a fanatic for his Royal Badness (one of the many nicknames he carried in his lifetime). But he’s one of the few musicians who really moved me.
I heard his music growing up in the 1980s in Jersey City as a matter of course when the radio dial was set on R&B or pop music stations like KISS-FM and Z-100.
When Prince’s sixth studio album, “Purple Rain,” was released in the summer of 1984, it was a revolution that pushed the rising star into the stratosphere.
I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing the screeching guitar and chanting of Prince that provided the intro to “When Doves Cry,” or the rhythmic strumming of the guitar and the clashing electric drums that start off the album’s title song.
However, it was watching “Purple Rain,” the movie, that put me on the Prince Express. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t act to the satisfaction of critics or that the plot seemed corny. I was just absolutely enthralled by him and his band, The Revolution, tearing through numbers that were a mélange of funk, rock and new wave, while in a musical rivalry with another badass, Morris Day, and his group.
My 13-year-old self also developed a crush on the leading lady, Apollonia Kotero, for her sultry voice and because she stripped nude to purify herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. It blew my mind then (and still blows my mind now).
Prince would remain in the background of my music listening as the years passed.
If it wasn’t his voice, it was the voice of others singing his songs, because he was as adept a songwriter as he was a performer. “I Feel for You” (Chaka Khan), “Manic Monday” (The Bangles) and “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Sinéad O’Connor) are some of the major hits that came from his pen.
The first vinyl album I ever got, in my teens was “Around the World in a Day,” his 1985 anti-commercial and purposely obscured follow-up to “Purple Rain.”
In college and afterward, whenever I had a few bucks in my pocket, I bought various albums on CD: “Diamonds and Pearls,” “The Black Album,” “The Gold Experience” and “Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic,” and “Lovesexy” on cassette. I paid for a ticket to watch what may be Spike Lee’s worst movie, “Girl 6,” in part to hear Prince’s music.
But it wasn’t just Prince’s virtuoso musicianship that made me a believer. It was also his personality, confounding and infuriating at the same time, that intrigued me.
I chatted with NYU classmates about how he slept no more than two hours a day because he worked so hard in the studio, playing all the instruments and producing every track. Yet he looked like he hadn’t aged a minute.
You would hear stories of him boosting artists that he admired by having them play on his albums and in concert. Then you would hear stories of his unkindness and controlling nature toward his bandmates and others in his inner circle.
He was a man who attained a level of stardom that demanded he bask in the spotlight at all times. Then there was the man who operated in secrecy and would alternate between the public, large-scale appearances and his surprise late-night concerts at small venues.
He was a true Gemini.
In the late spring of 2016, I was taking in all of who Prince was, as he was no longer among us mere mortals, while preparing to pay homage to him.
‘MPLS’ and ‘Uptown’
June 3 to 5, 2016.
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives in Minneapolis)”
Prince’s 1993 song popped into my head as the United Airlines plane landed at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport around 10:30 p.m. on June 3.
In the morning, my Prince Pilgrimage was underway as I took a bus near my hotel toward downtown Minneapolis.
While on the bus, I could see out my window why he spent nearly his entire life in or near this city, and created songs like “MPLS” and “Uptown” that presented his hometown to the world.
The widest boulevards I have ever seen outside of Paris. The streets where you saw yards with no fences and many trees. The heat normally expected in late spring was tempered by the Minnesota coolness.
I had an itinerary of the stops I needed to make on a sunny Saturday.
First Avenue and 7th Street Entry was a Greyhound bus depot converted into two music venues starting in the early 1970s. On the wall outside, a giant painted gold star etched with the name PRINCE. Only fitting, as the “Purple Rain” movie was filmed inside First Avenue.
539 North Newton Ave. in the northern part of Minneapolis is where a teenage Mr. Nelson lived with his dad for a short time until he was thrown out.
When I stopped by to view the three-bedroom house, an African American couple was chatting up a man standing outside the house. After they were done, it was my turn to engage Maurice Phillips, Prince’s former bodyguard, who married his boss’ sister Tyka.
I went into reporter mode to get the inside scoop from him on my favorite recording artist.
What was Prince like? “He’s just a normal kind of guy like us. He put on his pants the same kind of way.”
Are there other thoughts about Prince you want to share? “No. But I know Prince is looking down. I got to get done with this yard work.”
Later, I made my way to the Parkway Theater in South Minneapolis for what I thought was the best way to mourn the man: “This Thing Called Life — The Prince Tribute.”
Julius Collins, on lead vocals, was backed by members of Prince’s 1990’s band, the New Power Generation, along with other singers and instrumentalists. They regaled attendees with renditions of Prince songs while photos and videos of him played on a screen behind them.
Collins’ voice boomed as he sang, “Good times were rolling/She started dancing in the streets,” (“Uptown”), “Do I believe in God?/Do I believe in me? — Controversy” (“Controversy”), and “Police ain’t got no gun/You don’t have to run” (“DMSR”).
It was the perfect end to day one of the pilgrimage. I got back to my hotel in the late evening to have a meal and prepare for day two.
I should have skipped the takeout from the nearby fast-casual joint, because the resulting heartburn had me down for the count — and nixed plans to visit the last stop on the pilgrimage: Paisley Park.
Yet I had a Plan B for the following day, so I wouldn’t let Prince down.
At 2000 Fourth Avenue South in Minneapolis is Electric Fetus, the iconic record store where Prince reportedly made his last public appearance and last music purchases five days before he died.
On my shopping list was his shopping list:
- Stevie Wonder, “Talking Book.”
- Chambers Brothers, “The Time Has Come.”
- Joni Mitchell, “Hejira.”
- The Swan Silvertones, “Inspirational Gospel Classics.”
- Missing Persons, “The Best Of Missing Persons.”
- Santana, “Santana IV.”
I got only three of those CDs, as the others were (unsurprisingly) sold out. I couldn’t have regrets, because, in a weird way, it was the closest to being there when he was there, the closest I would ever get to meeting him.
His famous opening line to “Let’s Go Crazy” also came to mind: “Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to get through this thing called ‘life.’”
RIP Prince (June 7, 1958-April 21, 2016).
Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
Twitter/X: @ricardokaul
Minneapolis, MN
Man convicted of murdering Mariah Samuels set for sentencing Monday after skipping previous court date
A Minneapolis man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend is set to learn his fate Monday after he skipped his original sentencing date on Friday.
A jury found 51-year-old David Wright guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, first- and second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm last week. The premeditation conviction automatically triggers a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Wright was scheduled to be sentenced Friday afternoon, but did not show up to court. The judge asked Wright’s attorney if he was ill or refusing to show up, but the attorney declined to answer on grounds of attorney-client privilege.
Monday’s sentencing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Wright killed 34-year-old Mariah Samuels in September outside her home in the Willard-Hay neighborhood of Minneapolis, minutes after she posted about his abuse on social media. Family members said Samuels had broken up with him after a few months of dating. She had a restraining order against him.
Samuels’ sister Simone Hunter called Wright “a dangerous person” who “should never see the light of day again” after his conviction.
Friends and family say Wright acted out throughout the trial, including missing previous court dates and removing himself from the stand.
Both Samuels’ family and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty criticized the court for not doing more to ensure Wright showed up at the sentencing.
“This is why people think they can murder people in front of their dad’s house and get away with it. There’s no repercussions for these things, they don’t care about these women who are dying on a daily basis. And the least that they could have done is demanded that he come over here in shackles like the monster that he is,” Hunter said Friday. “I’m astounded.”
Samuels’ family has also accused the Minneapolis Police Department of not doing enough to keep her safe. Chief Brian O’Hara last year ordered her case to be reviewed and officers to be retrained on domestic violence.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A 21-year-old man was killed after a motorcycle crash early Friday morning in Minneapolis, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Fatal motorcycle crash
The backstory:
The State Patrol responded to the crash at about 1:20 a.m. on April 17 on northbound I-35W at Johnson Street in Minneapolis.
Authorities say a man operating a Suzuki motorcycle was heading northbound on I-35W when it made contact with the left side median guard rail before it continued to head north. It traveled for about another quarter mile before coming to rest on the right side guard rail.
Authorities located the motorcycle’s operator on the left side shoulder. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Crash under investigation
Crash victim ID’d:
The State Patrol identified the motorcyclist as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger of Minneapolis. According to a GoFundMe set up for the family, Neuberger is the oldest of seven children.
What led up to the crash remains under investigation.
-
Technology12 minutes agoThe Vergecast Vergecast, 2026 edition
-
World18 minutes agoMexico pyramid shooter who took hostages and killed 1 is identified
-
Politics24 minutes agoByron Donalds cracks down on persistent border blind spot leaving US vulnerable to overstays
-
Health30 minutes agoHealthy diets spark lung cancer risk in non-smokers as pesticides loom
-
Sports36 minutes agoPGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
-
Technology42 minutes agoAlexa+ lets you order food like a real conversation
-
Business48 minutes agoNew lawsuit alleges Uber is violating drivers’ rights. Here’s how
-
Entertainment54 minutes agoReview: Trigger warning? ‘For Want of a Horse’ gives new meaning to the term ‘animal lover’