MINNEAPOLIS — There's a new vision for the old Minneapolis Police's Third Precinct that burned during the riots nearly four years ago.
Frederick Brathwaite is behind the plan that he unveiled Monday night at a meeting with community members and some city councilors. Brathwaite is the co-owner of the popular restaurant called Mama Sheila's House of Soul.
Dozens of people filled the Hook and Ladder theater and lounge to see renderings of what Brathwaite calls the Minneapolis Black Cultural Center for the first time. The theater is right next to the Third Precinct.
"We want to change the negative image of this sacred ground into something glowing and positive," said Brathwaite.
The building has been boarded up since rioters set it on fire after George Floyd was murdered in 2020. The future of the burned building is still unclear, despite many heated debates.
"They want to see the building gone, that's what many in the community has said," said Brathwaite.
The cultural center would include two buildings that emulate African head wraps, along with a restaurant, museum, memorials, sports courts, a theater and more.
"It's not just a historic center," said Brathwaite. "It's a cultural center, so when people come to visit, they will learn the history and culture of Black people."
He says it could cost upwards of $80 million and that doesn't include the property.
KARE 11 reporter Jennifer Hoff asked Brathwaite, "This proposal relies heavily on the city council agreeing to give you that property, what happens if they don't?"
"First of all, I'm a very optimistic person, but if they do not give us the building, we will find out other avenues they can help us," said Brathwaite. "The money is there, the money is out there in the community, in society, in the country."
There were at least three council members at the meeting, including former president Andrea Jenkins who called the concept "beautiful," saying she'd love to see something like this come to fruition if not here, somewhere in Minneapolis.
The council did vote late last year to move the Third Precinct from its original location to a new site just a few blocks north.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.