MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly four years after the murder of George Floyd turned 38th and Chicago into an intersection of global significance, the city of Minneapolis continues to explore long-term options for the area known widely as "George Floyd Square."
On Thursday, the city invited a group of nearly 200 neighbors and community members to nearby Sabathani Community Center for a dinner and discussion about the future of the square. Over the next few years, the city must decide how to design streets and sidewalks near the intersection and will also begin looking for a "community-centered owner" to take over a former gas station site at 38th and Chicago. That property, which the city acquired for itself to better control the development, is known in the neighborhood as the "People's Way."
Also, the city will be supporting outside groups to help craft a long-term vision for the George Floyd memorial, which has currently grown to cover most of the intersection on the portion of 38th Street where Floyd was murdered.
"From the city of Minneapolis, there's a recognition of the harm that we've done, not just with the murder of George Floyd but through centuries through our governments. There's a recognition of racism and how government has perpetuated racism in our society," senior city project manager Alexander Kado said. "We can't erase what's been done. We can't change that. But we can support decisions that come forth that help course-correct some of that."
Kado described Thursday's event as a "kickoff" for community engagement. He said the city will spend the rest of 2024 in the planning stages before taking more concrete action on the square in 2025.
Minneapolis is partnering with various groups, including the Cultural Wellness Center, on the community engagement process for George Floyd Square. Anthony Taylor, the development lead for the Cultural Wellness Center, said the future of George Floyd Square will have implications for the entire 38th Street corridor and beyond.
"One of the things that's critically important is acknowledging the impact of George Floyd's murder, acknowledging the historical past related to racism, segregation, redlining and all of those things," Taylor said, "and seeing this as a point that actually moves into a future. What we're really deciding is what will that future bring? What is the impact it will have on our quality of life? And what will it mean for this community, for this city, and the world, going forward?"
The dinner at Sabathani Community Center generated a lot of ideas for George Floyd Square.
Charles McMillian, who witnessed Floyd's murder and offered key testimony in Derek Chauvin's trial, attended the event and proposed turning the memorial into a more concrete structure.
"I think there should be an indoors event set-up for that. George Floyd has been laying on that ground for four years," McMillian said. "People are always going to come to George Floyd Square to see what happened. But, what I tell people is, you can come there and see what happened but do you know what happened?"
Marquise Bowie, a lifelong South Side resident who also works with the city-contracted Agape Movement at the square, said Minneapolis leaders must get the decision right on 38th and Chicago.
"If we're not helping the community we say we're supposed to help, the Black, Brown, Indigenous, Black Live Matters type, then what are we doing?" Bowie said. "Get to know the community and the community will tell you what they need."
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