🗳️ Choosing the community tenant for 3000 Minnehaha
Two finalists proposed their vision for using 8,000 square feet of space within the repurposed building.
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After five years of uncertainty and debate about the future of the former Third Precinct building at 3000 Minnehaha, a few things have come into focus this year.
The city finalized a $15 million plan to move its Election and Voter Services department into the building, which will serve as the city's centralized site for early voting, offices for its staff, and a warehouse for storing equipment. They hired local architecture firm LSE, whose founders designed the nearby East Lake Library, to lead the project. Crews have removed the razor wire surrounding the property and plan to finish cleaning up the exterior by next month.
But a major outstanding question remains: Who will lease the 8,000-square-foot section of the building that's been reserved for a "community partner," a key compromise in passing the long-debated plan?
In April the city issued a call for proposals from "community-oriented" businesses or nonprofits to lease the space, which is planned for the corner of the building closest to Minnehaha Avenue. Last week, the two finalists presented their proposals during a community meeting at the Coliseum building. The city is now asking for feedback on the proposals.
Change Inc.: "The Phoenix, a Workforce Development Center for Opportunity Youth"
Change Inc. started in the 1960s as an alternative high school in St. Paul's West Side neighborhood, geared toward students who hadn't finished traditional high school. Today they still operate that school, known as Gap School, along with mental health and mentoring programs in 44 schools across the metro. They also run a workforce development program that trains and places 16-to-24-year-olds in jobs like construction and healthcare.
The group is proposing to use the space to expand that workforce development program to south Minneapolis. The services would be geared toward young adults who are "disengaged from school or work," offering support for completing a high school diploma and career training and placement. It would be operated in partnership with the Cultural Wellness Center, which has provided similar services geared toward Black communities in South Minneapolis since 1996.
The group says they'd build out the space as a mix of classrooms, offices, a large event space, and a commercial kitchen that would offer training in culinary fields. They also say they'd make both the event space and kitchen available for community rental outside of business hours. The group received a state grant to plan the new programming. (Read the proposal summary.)
Mama Sheila's House of Soul: "Soul Food Restaurant and Black History Museum"
Sheila and Frederick Brathwaite opened Mama Sheila's House of Soul restaurant at 38th and Bloomington in 2018, which MSP Magazine described as "one of the best southern feasts in town." The married duo – Sheila cooks, Frederick hosts – serves a menu of soul food items buffet-style in a museum-like space jammed with photos and information about notable Black figures throughout history.
Before the city finalized its plan to reopen 3000 Minnehaha as a voting center, the Brathwaites had pushed for a plan to tear down the building and rebuild a Black Cultural Center in its place. That proposal didn't gain much steam after an initial well-attended meeting, but they're now proposing a scaled-down version of the center within the building.
That would include moving their restaurant into an expanded area that would seat about 200 people and feature two patios and a stage for live music. In the remainder of the space, they're proposing a mix of a museum highlighting Black history and a community center. Though sparse on details, Frederick indicated he had a partner lined up to run the museum and at least one funding source, both unnamed. (Read the proposal summary.)
Up next
A city survey on the two proposals is open through September 12. City leaders will then interview the two groups and recommend a tenant later this year. From there they will work out the terms of a lease, which the city has indicated will be priced at or near market-rate.
As for the larger building: The architects have preliminary plans for the renovated facility, now known as the "Minneapolis Democracy Center." Among the plans:
- Adding an additional one-story wing on the west side of the building in place of the current parking lot, which will house the public-facing early voting center
- Replacing the facade along Lake Street and adding more windows, which they say will make it look significantly different
- Reorienting the entrance to the community space to face Lake Street rather than Minnehaha
- Adding landscaping and public art
LSE says they plan to finish the design in the spring and begin construction later next year. In the meantime, crews are making progress on a $1.5 million effort to clean up the exterior, originally scheduled to be completed last fall. They're currently rebuilding the fire-damaged vestibule, and plan to wrap up work by next month.
- Read more: Cleanup has (slowly) begun at the former Third Precinct (6/11/2024)
