Transforming the Mississippi River waterfront, building a marquee ice skating rink, locking in a Michelin-starred restaurant, and “reinventing” the skyway system are just a handful of ways downtown Minneapolis could take shape over the next decade. 

It’s all part of the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s “2035 Plan” and laid out in its 131-page presentation, “Downtown by Design.”

“It’s a big plan. It’s a big vision. There are 52 projects that are laid out in it,” Ben Shardlow, chief of staff for the downtown council, said, adding, “It’s been a labor of love to get a big engagement process, to get a lot of voices to the table.”

The ideas and vision are focused around four “strategic priorities”:

• Neighborhood Cultivation 
• Foundational Safety 
• Hassle-Free Systems
• Irresistible Vibe

Shardlow says downtown Minneapolis is in an interesting position to make unique and bold changes as it adapts to life after the pandemic.

“I think we’re, we’re very heartened by the recovery and the reanimation that we’ve seen from downtown. But it’s clear also that downtowns need to change,” he said. 

Turning Nicollet Mall into a pedestrian-only area is also part of the plan. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote in the presentation, sharing, “Nicollet Mall is the heart of our city, and its future reflects our shared vision of a vibrant, welcoming, and accessible downtown – a place where people gather, connect, and enjoy the best Minneapolis has to offer.”

Another goal is transforming millions of square feet of commercial space into residential space. And it’s not just projects on the mind, ensuring public safety will be a big part of the heart of the city’s future — key in that will be the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD).

“[In the] last few months, we’ve been involving community-based organizations more than they had been in the past,” Chief Brian O’Hara said about the MPD’s work downtown. 

Chief O’Hara said his main focus will be building up his taxed police force so that it can better respond when needed.  

“We are on pace to hire a lot of people next year,” Chief O’Hara said. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that we’ll probably hire about 200 people for sworn positions, at least 50 in January alone.”

While O’Hara said it will take some time for most of those people to become sworn officers, he expects dozens to be on the street before the end of next year. 

Also, even with the vision laid out for downtown’s future, the council says there’s much more work ahead before these ideas become reality, with more opportunities for people to share their ideas. 

“We’re all a big community. We all care about the future of downtown Minneapolis. Let’s bring our best ideas to the table and work together to get them done,” Shardlow said. 

MINNEAPOLIS — Take a walk around downtown Minneapolis and you’ll see them: empty storefronts — one after another. 

Now, the city of Minneapolis is opening up its checkbooks, spending $224,20 — money previously approved in the 2024 budget — to combat the problem.

“This is an opportunity that we’ve been dreaming of,” said Drew Kinkade, Founder and Director of Flavor World.

Flavor World is a Twin Cities-based creative hub that makes clothing, hosts events and provides services for the local art scene. It is one of five local arts organizations selected to be a part of Vibrant Storefronts.

Each organization is getting subsidized rent to take over five vacant downtown storefronts.

“Right now, by far our biggest expense as a business is rent,” said Kinkade.

Flavor World will provide space for a rotating gallery and a pop-up shop for local artists at the old Fast Print location on Harmon Place.

“We want to have quarterly gallery openings, as well as we host events called art shares, kind of like art show and tells,” said Kinkade.

Just down the street, Black Business Enterprise, a nonprofit that gives a helping hand to black and low-income entrepreneurs, has already set up shop in their new location, making a space for local artists to collaborate and showcase their art.

“We really hope to spotlight and shine the light on a lot of the artists that are typically unseen,” said Nancy Korsah, Executive Director for Black Business Enterprise.    

Both organizations hope to give these empty storefronts new life.

“Downtown is not dead,” said Korsah. “We have amazing organizations trying not just to bring people back, but bring community together.”

The Minneapolis Downtown Council on Monday published its 2035 Plan, outlining its goals for revitalizing the area.

MINNEAPOLIS — It’s a familiar feeling: Thanksgiving morning, the relatives are coming over, and after days of preparing and making lists for your family feast, you realize you forgot the cranberry sauce or the whipped cream for the pie. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t worry—several grocery stores across the Twin Cities metro area will be open for last-minute shopping needs.

Here are the hours for grocery stores that will be open on Thanksgiving Day, as well as a list of those that will be closed:

Open on Thanksgiving Day

Hy-Vee

Hy-Vee stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day, but many locations will close early, typically at 2 p.m. It’s a good idea to call your local Hy-Vee store ahead of time to confirm their specific hours, as they may vary by location.

• Bloomington, 10800 Lyndale Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55420
• Eagan, 4000 Eagan Dr, Eagan, MN 55122
• Maplewood, 1850 White Bear Ave, Maplewood, MN 55109
• Minneapolis, 1400 W 98th St, Minneapolis, MN 55431
• Richfield, 6525 Penn Ave S, Richfield, MN 55423
• Woodbury, 755 Bielenberg Dr, Woodbury, MN 55125

Cub Foods:

Cub Foods will be open on Thanksgiving Day, but their hours vary by location. It’s recommended to call ahead or check with your specific Cub Foods store to confirm their Thanksgiving hours.

Locations in the Twin Cities metro include:

• St. Paul: 2001 S Robert St, 1440 University Ave W, 2197 Old Hudson Road, 1177 Clarence St
• West St. Paul: 239 Winona St W
• Inver Grove Heights: 7850 Cahill Road
• Eagan: 1276 Town Centre Dr, 1020 Diffley Road, 1940 Cliff Lake Rd
• Roseville: 1201 Larpenteur Ave W, 2100 Snelling Ave N
• Maplewood: 100 W County Rd B, 2390 White Bear Ave
• Minneapolis: 4601 Snelling Ave S, 2850 26th Ave S, 1540 New Brighton Blvd, 1104 Lagoon Ave, 5937 Nicollet Ave S
• Woodbury: 8432 Tamarack Village
• Bloomington: 8421 Lyndale Ave S
• Cottage Grove: 8690 E Point Douglas Rd
• White Bear Lake: 1920 Buerkle Road
• Edina: 6775 York Ave S
• Arden Hills: 3717 Lexington Ave N

Whole Foods

Hours vary by location. Many stores will open at 7 a.m. and close as early as 2 p.m.

Whole Foods locations in the Twin Cities metro include:

• St. Paul: 1575 Selby Ave
• Woodbury: 305 Radio Dr
• Minneapolis (Hennepin Ave, Lake Calhoun)
• Edina: 7401 France Ave S
• Minnetonka: 1001 Plymouth Rd
• Maple Grove: 12201 Elm Creek Blvd N

Closed on Thanksgiving Day

• Aldi
• Costco
• Sam’s Club
• Trader Joe’s
• Lunds & Byerlys
• Kowalski’s Markets
• Target
• Walmart