Minneapolis, MN

Hennepin Avenue in Uptown is a mess. What's happening, and why now?

Published

2 years ago

July 6, 2024

Hennepin Avenue in Uptown is a mess. What's happening, and why now?

Hennepin Avenue in Uptown is a dusty, muddied, ripped-up, detour-ridden mess, thanks to a $34 million major reconstruction of the Minneapolis thoroughfare that’s challenging motorists, pedestrians and businesses.

And it won’t be over any time soon; the current closure — between Lake Street and W. 26th Street — is slated to be done by Thanksgiving. Then next year, Phase 2: from 26th to Douglas Avenue, north of Franklin.

City leaders and engineers say the work is sorely needed, but they know it’s painful.

“It looks a little tough out there,” said Adam Hayow, project manager for the city. Crosswalks are dirt, sidewalks are detoured, and drivers are forced to navigate a series of cones and barricades that can challenge their patience.

The construction prompted the Uptown Art Fair to cancel what would have been its 60th annual festival. Instead, Bachman’s in far southwest Minneapolis will host an arts event.

Every Uptown business is still open and accessible, technically.

“It’s bad, I’m not gonna lie, said Phonsuda Chanthavisouk, co-owner of Tii Cup, a bubble tea, Thai street food and cocktail lounge that opened just north of 27th Street in April — just before city contractors closed the street and began tearing apart everything.

And by everything, we mean everything: the sidewalk; the street; the brick, iron and wooden ties of streetcar lines beneath the street; the substrate beneath that; the storm sewers and sanitary sewers beneath that. Lead water lines, aged natural-gas lines and any manner of dirt, buried litter and archaeological detritus has been unearthed in what engineers call a “full reconstruction.”

“Building face to building face,” Hayow said.

What’s being done

In addition to all that infrastructure being replaced, as well as Xcel Energy burying electric cables that are currently overhead, Hennepin will get a full makeover with the features typical of many new Minneapolis streets.

Among the changes:

Sidewalks will be easier to use, with consistent widths and a strip of vegetation planted next to the curb.
A two-way protected bike lane will run along the east side of the street.
Outside lanes on the two-way, four-lane street will become “transit priority” during rush hours, when only buses will be allowed in those lanes and parking will be banned for all but a few loading areas.
New signals, crosswalks and intersection designs, such as bump-out corners, are intended to improve safety.

In addition, Metro Transit is using the moment to prepare Lake Street and Lagoon Avenue for its bus rapid transit project, the B Line, which involves elevated bus stations and changes to the streets themselves. So Lake and Lagoon, while open to traffic, are partly ripped up, too.

“We’re ripping the Band-Aid off,” said City Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai, who represents the east side of Hennepin. “We could hypothesize about the best time to do it, but I think it’s a good thing that this lines up with Lake Street B Line.”

Why it’s needed

The last time the 1.4-mile stretch of Hennepin Avenue S. was reconstructed was more than 65 years ago. Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, and the only pro sports team in town was the Minneapolis Lakers.

“It’s in really poor condition,” Hayow said of the infrastructure.

Council Member Katie Cashman, who represents the west side of Hennepin Avenue S., said the “catastrophic” risk of a ruptured sewer line or water main are well-known. “Remember the sinkhole at 27th and Girard last summer?” she said in an email to a reporter, recalling a crater created by a 120-year-old ruptured sewer line.

Why now?

Planning for the project began before 2018. The timeline fell into place after federal funding was secured before the pandemic, and work was slated to start in 2023.

But with Uptown reeling from the pandemic and property damage following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the killing of Winston Smith in 2021, the city asked the federal government for more time. Federal transportation officials granted the city one more year. In other words, the work had to happen now, or tens of millions of dollars in federal funds would be withheld, several officials said.

Both Cashman and Chughtai said the project will be worth it in the long run, with Chughtai calling it a “generational investment.” However, she noted, “What we do right now to get through the work, that’s the hardest part.”

Both council members are hoping to allocate new funds to help local businesses make it through the construction.

Business owners like Tii Cup’s Chanthavisouk, who said she’s optimistic for Uptown’s future, are looking forward to the fall when Hennepin reopens. “I have faith,” she said.

A few blocks away, Chela Lazo looked out over the dirt mounds from her newly opened barber shop on a recent afternoon. “It makes me sad, but maybe little by little, customers will come, and then they’ll tell their friends, and more will come, and then the construction will be done, and people will walk by and see a busy barber shop,” she said.

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Minneapolis, MN

JD Vance: Ilhan Omar ‘definitely committed immigration fraud’

Published

4 hours ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

JD Vance: Ilhan Omar ‘definitely committed immigration fraud’

WASHINGTON, DC (FOX 9) – The Republic of Somaliland is calling for Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to be extradited after Vice President JD Vance accused her of committing immigration fraud.

Vance accuses Ilhan Omar of immigration fraud

The backstory:

Vance appeared on conservative Benny Johnson’s podcast over the weekend, where he accused the Minnesota lawmaker of fraud.

“Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America. She has been at the center of a lot of the worst fraudsters at the center of the Somali community,” Vance told Johnson.

Omar has been at odds with the Trump Administration and the White House multiple times over accusations that she married her brother to obtain U.S. citizenship. FOX 9 looked into those allegations, and found no evidence that can corroborate that.

Omar calls allegations ‘a ridiculous lie’

The other side:

Omar responded to Vance’s allegations on Sunday, via FOX News.

“This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media,” the statement said. “This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.”

Omar sprayed at town hall

Local perspective:

In late January, Omar held a town hall where after calling for then DHS Sec. Kristi Noem to resign over Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities, an attendee stood up and sprayed Omar with a liquid.

The man, later identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, was charged with threats of violence and assault for the attack. The Hennepin County complaint alleges that Kazmierczak told Omar that “you should f–king die” during the attack.

Trump on Omar: ‘Throw her the hell out’

Why you should care:

President Trump made an appearance in Pennsylvania last December, where he highlighted Minnesota’s ongoing issues with fraud.

President Trump blasts Ilhan Omar, Gov. Walz at Pennsylvania rally

President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Minnesota lawmaker llhan Omar and Gov. Tim Walz over the fraud taking place in the state as federal agents are in the Twin Cities area targeting the Somali population. Trump made the remarks while speaking about the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania.

Trump said in the appearance she married her brother, and “she should get the hell out.”

“You know, that’s called the Great Big Minnesota scam with one of the dumbest governors ever in history. I love this Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is, a little turban. I love her, she comes in, does nothing but bitch. She’s always complaining. She comes from a country where, I mean, it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right?” Trump said. “They have nothing. She comes to our country and she’s always complaining about the constitution allows me to do this. We ought to get her the hell out, she married her brother in order to get in. Can you imagine if Donald Trump married his sister, if I married my sister to get my citizenship? Do you think I would last about two hours, or would it be less? She married her brother to get in, therefore she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out, throw her the hell out.”

Ilhan OmarPoliticsDonald J. TrumpJD VanceImmigration

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Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota weather: Gorgeous Sunday with a warmer Monday ahead

Published

16 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota weather: Gorgeous Sunday with a warmer Monday ahead

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A sunny and warm Sunday is in store for the Twin Cities, with even higher temperatures expected on Monday before a chance of rain and cooler air returns later in the week.

Sunday forecast

Local perspective:

Sunday is starting with some cloud cover before sunshine moves in with highs near 70 degrees around the metro and southern parts of the state.

Winds will be much lighter than Saturday, coming from the south at 5 to 10 mph with only occasional gusts up to 15 mph.

The Brainerd Lakes area will see temperatures in the 60s, while the North Shore will be cooler, which is typical for this time of year.

Sunday’s weather is expected to be dry and pleasant.

Overnight, temperatures will drop to the upper 30s and lower 40s, with some clouds moving in ahead of Monday.

Extended forecast

What’s next:

Monday could be the warmest day of the week, with highs in the lower 70s for the Twin Cities and some spots in southern Minnesota possibly reaching close to 80 degrees.

Winds will shift from southerly to southeasterly and then easterly as the day goes on, but should remain light.

After the warm start to the week, a cold front will move through on Tuesday, bringing a chance for a few rain showers in the early morning.

Temperatures will likely drop to the upper 40s by Wednesday and Thursday, with another front possibly bringing showers late Friday into early Saturday.

The rest of the extended forecast calls for temperatures close to or just below average, with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.

WeatherWeather Forecast

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Minneapolis, MN

Man found dead in south Minneapolis house fire

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Man found dead in south Minneapolis house fire

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Firefighters are investigating the Minneapolis’s second fire fatality of the year after a man died in a house fire Saturday afternoon.

Fatal fire on 28th Avenue South

What we know:

According to the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD), fire crews arrived shortly after 1:00 p.m. and found smoke coming from the second floor of a single-family home on 28th Avenue South. Bystanders alerted firefighters that someone might be trapped inside.

Crews had to work through heavy debris to reach the upstairs area. It took about 40 minutes to fully put out the fire.

During the primary search, firefighters found a man in his 60s dead on the second floor. No one else was found after searching all the floors.

Minneapolis Animal Care and Control took in a dog found outside the home.

Assistant Chief Wes Van Vickle said, “The department is grateful to the neighbors who alerted fire crews that someone may still have been inside, allowing them to act quickly.”

Fire safety reminders and community response

What they’re saying:

“This afternoon’s tragic loss of life weighs heavily on all of us, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Van Vickle.

He also encourages the public to regularly check and maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers at home.

There were no other injuries reported. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner is working to confirm the man’s identity.

What we don’t know:

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the man’s name has not been released.

FireMinneapolis

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