Minneapolis, MN
Would making Nicollet Mall pedestrian only bring more people downtown?
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – When Mary Tyler Moore tossed her hat in the air on Nicollet Mall in her show’s opening credits in the 70s, the mall was in its heyday as a regional shopping destination.
Now city leaders believe reinvigorating the mall will be key to revitalizing downtown Minneapolis.
Nicollet Mall proposed plans
“A place of pedestrian activity where you walk down the street and there’s a thousand different tastes and smells and sounds and people all packed in on one block,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, during a Monday press conference to announce a new action plan for downtown.
Among other things, the Downtown Action Plan calls for turning Nicollet Mall into a pedestrian-only zone with Metro Transit rerouting buses from that street.
Some city boosters would also like to remove the U.S. Post Office building along the Mississippi River, so the city can connect the mall to the riverfront.
“So the U.S. Post Office, I commit to getting them to see the wisdom of taking down that butt ugly parking ramp that’s going to block the river from Nicollet Mall. I’m sure we can find a compromise,” said Minneapolis City Council member Michael Rainville at that same press conference.
In the last decade, the city has spent $50 million on adding LED lighting, 250 trees and new paving to the 12 block stretch of downtown.
So would another Nicollet Mall makeover actually entice more people to visit it?
What they’re saying
“It’s interesting. The pedestrianization idea has been around for quite a few years. Now it’s a believe it when I see this type of thing,” said Brit’s Pub general manager Shane Higgins.
Higgins says making Nicollet Mall pedestrian only would be good for businesses on the mall, as long as there is programming like farmer’s markets or food trucks, along with a strong police presence to make visitors feel safe.
“So parades, concerts, any activity where you can get the word out to bring people down,” said Higgins.
Minneapolis, MN
WWE bringing NXT event to Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The next generation of WWE wrestlers will be showcased at a “premium live event” in Minneapolis next month.
What to know?
The WWE announced on Thursday that NXT live event “Deadline” will be hosted at The Armory in Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
Fans can buy tickets starting next Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. by using code “NXTLIVE”.
The event will also stream on Peacock.
Who is on the card?
The WWE says the event will feature:
- NXT Champion Trick Williams
- NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez
- NXT North American Champion Tony D’Angelo
- NXT Women’s North American Champion Fallon Henley
- Je’Von Evans
- Kelani Jordan
- Ethan Page
- Lola Vice
What’s next?
Earlier this year, the WWE also announced that it would bring SummerSlam to Minneapolis in 2026.
Minnesota wrestling fans were hoping for a larger event, with rumors swirling that the WWE may bring WrestleMania to Minneapolis. Ultimately, though, the WWE chose Las Vegas as the host for WrestleMania 41.
Minneapolis, MN
Frey finds money to spare North Commons Park from budget cut
“Do you know of any other unspent ARPA funding that will not be used for its allocated purposes?” he asked Discenza.
Discenza responded that the city didn’t yet know how much ARPA money was left unspent.
Frey wrote in his email to Chughtai and Koski that the other department cuts will remain.
The council initially proposed using contingency funds for Agate but didn’t have the 10 votes required to use those funds, which are intended for emergencies like natural disasters. City policy requires 1% of the operating budget to be set aside as an emergency fund.
Koski has pointed out that the city ended each of the last six years with an average $22 million in unspent funds. That money goes back into the general fund, where city financial policies require reserves equal to at least 17% of the overall budget. The city usually shoots for about 25%, which helps boost its bond ratings.
Minneapolis, MN
10-year-old girl injured in Minneapolis hit-and-run
A 10-year-old girl is expected to be OK after a hit-and-run crash on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
Officers responded to a hit-and-run at the intersection of Lowry Avenue North and Sheridan Avenue North just before 6 p.m.
Minneapolis police say that a 10-year-old girl was running across the road when she was hit by a grey SUV that didn’t stop.
The girl was brought to Hennepin Healthcare with non-life-threatening injuries.
No arrests have been made.
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