June 10, 2026
ATTN: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey;
Council Members Elliott Payne (President), Jamal Osman (Vice-President), Aisha Chughtai (Majority Leader), Robin Wonsley (Minority Leader), Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw, Pearll Warren, Elizabeth Shaffer, Soren Stevenson, Jason Chavez, Jamison Whiting, Aurin Chowdhury, and Linea Palmisano;
CPED Director Erik Hansen; Manager of Economic Development, Miles Mercer
RESPONSE TO LEGISLATIVE FILE 2026-00440 (38TH STREET AND CHICAGO AVENUE (GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE) STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT); LEGISLATIVE FILE 2026-00626; and LEGISLATIVE FILE 2026-00603 (AWARDING EXCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO MINNESOTA AGAPE MOVEMENT)
Dear Mayor Frey, Members of the Minneapolis City Council and Minneapolis City Staff,
Our organization has paid close attention to the conversations being shared by community groups, stakeholders, city staff and businesses in this city – and beyond – when it comes to the development of the People’s Way. At no point during the engagement/selection process did the community feel that we were on equal footing with the city as a partner. The city demonstrated top-down and chauvinistic practices when dealing with our community organizations, which contributed to a lack of trust on this and other projects regarding 38th and Chicago Avenue. Because of this, we cannot in good conscience take the results from the city’s engagement process as a definitive reflection of what our community wants. We have listened carefully to our residents. We have examined the results of the survey and conducted our own qualitative surveys within the neighborhood to determine if a community consensus is present – it is not.
Several facts are abundantly clear:
Our neighbors believe that stewardship of the People’s Way should be in the hands of those most impacted by anti-Black racism and state violence.
The process of the redevelopment of George Floyd Square including the People’s Way has been retraumatizing for Black people who live and work in our neighborhoods.
A complete lack of care has been demonstrated at multiple points throughout this process, causing further emotional and financial stress and harm by:
Repeated delays and lack of communication regarding the selection process, timeline and development priorities for the People’s Way;
Ongoing lack of communication around street construction timelines, processes, resident impacts and business supports;
Ongoing lack of transparency of the funding and implementation of the 38th Street Thrive Strategic Development Plan;
A special assessment of $636,447 levied against predominantly Black and immigrant neighbors living and working in the intersection of George Floyd Square;
Non-Black Council members degrading Black institutions in press conferences.
Our neighbors do not believe that the Minneapolis City Council is the appropriate body to hold a decision about the future of the People’s Way or 38th and Chicago.
We invite you to an alternative solution.
The Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) formally calls for a halt in the decision for the People’s Way. We request the reestablishment of the Community Co-Creation Team. Our community needs careful, mediated time to arrive at a solution without external pressure.
The 38th and Chicago Community Co-Creation Team will oversee the selection and development processes for the People’s Way and implement a community benefits agreement for the site. This Commission will implement the 38th Street Thrive Strategic Development Plan through collaborating with city staff and residents to develop and implement policies and procedures that support community development, facilitating public information and education along the way. The primary objective of this Commission is to return the decisions being made about this community – back to the community – promoting and facilitating racial healing and justice through building trust, transparency and accountability for the people of Minneapolis.
We believe that we are stronger when we work together, and we understand that this process has been driving us apart.
Our recommended stakeholders for the 38th and Chicago Community Co-Creation Team are as follows:
Neighbor - 3700 Block Columbus Avenue South
Neighbor - 3700 Block Chicago Avenue South
Neighbor - 3700 Block Elliot Avenue South
Neighbor - 3800 Block Elliot Avenue South
Neighbor - 3800 Block Chicago Avenue South
Neighbor - 3800 Block Elliot Avenue South
Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO)
Bryant Neighborhood Organization (BNO)
Bancroft Neighborhood Association (BNA)
Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA)
38th & Chicago Business Coalition (38TH+CHI)
Community Visioning Council (CVC)
Worldwide Outreach for Christ (WWOC)
Calvary Lutheran Church (ELCA)
Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL)
Minnesota AGAPE Movement
Rise & Remember
Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED)
Hennepin County District 4
City Council Ward 8
City Council Ward 9
We believe in collaboration, not competition.
We believe that another world is possible.
Do you?
Respectfully,
Lane Brown and Mickella Rolfes
Co-Executive Director Leadership Team
Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO)
lane@thecentralneighborhood.com
mickella@thecentralneighborhood.com
Acknowledgement & Transparency note
CANDO abstains from any formal endorsement of the People’s Way development given a potential conflict of interest.
Our statement regarding the development of People's Way is meant to convey one idea: the City of Minneapolis caused the root harm of this issue – the murder of a Black man at the hands of an MPD officer – and continues to cause harm to our community. CANDO is not a bidder for development of People's Way. We stand ready to collaborate with the organization selected.