MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Downtown Council this week released a 10-year plan for the area dubbed Downtown by Design.
The organization has released 10 and 15-year plans since its 1956 inception.
The last plan came out in 2010 when Ben Shardlow was still in school for urban planning. He says reading it inspired him to work for the MDC. Today, he is chief of staff and has worked there for 12 years.
He says the 2010 plan was largely successful. It included building a new Vikings stadium, improving transit options and improving pedestrian experiences.
"All of those things have been implemented over the last 15 years," Shardlow said.
More than 200 stakeholders contributed to the 2035 plan, agreeing on four strategic priorities: Neighborhood Cultivation, Foundational Safety, Hassle-Free Systems and Irresistible Vibe.
The full plan can be viewed online.
Neighborhood Cultivation
"That involves some office buildings being converted to residential use, more retail that's more resident oriented," Shardlow explained. "Are the coffee shops open on the weekend? Is there a hardware store? Where do I get my dry cleaning? So it does get down to that kind of nitty-gritty detail, just making sure that all the conveniences you'd expect living downtown are available."
The plan includes converting 3 million square feet of commercial space into residential units. It also calls for a redesign and "full reconstruction" of 1st Ave. N.
Nearly 60,000 people live downtown, and that's nearly double 2010's population of 35,000. Doubling the residential population was another goal within the old 2010 plan.
With more residential and retail growth expected over the next decade, Shardlow says Hassle-Free Systems will also be priority.
Hassle-Free Systems
"We are just celebrating the fact that there is so much improved transit service coming to downtown," Shardlow said. "$6.7 billion worth of investment in Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit extensions."
Downtown leaders and stakeholders would also like to see improved navigation systems in the skyways.
Irresistible Vibe
Another part of the plan involves transforming the riverfront and reimagining the 8-acre post office site on First Street near the Mississippi River into a place for public enjoyment.
"There's a rendering in the plan that shows the rooftop turned into kind of a park in the sky, which is just one idea, but it's fun to see and fun to visualize and fun to imagine the possibilities," Shardlow said.
Elsewhere downtown, there are plans for a permanent ice rink to help make Minneapolis more of a "winter city." The location is yet to be determined.
Pursuing the Michelin Star guide "to showcase Minneapolis' world-class restaurant scene" is also on the agenda.
There are many initiatives and projects. Some are ideas while others are already underway. Regardless of the status, it will be important to keep everyone safe.
Foundational Safety
Shardlow says Foundational Safety means advancing a modern, layered public safety system that accounts for prevention and outreach in addition to law enforcement.
"There is a new Safety Communications Center that's under construction in the new first precinct facility over by the Minneapolis Convention Center," he said. "It's a really important central dispatch for all of the non-law enforcement services we have out on the street, where [there are] ambassadors that are focused more on hospitality or street outreach workers or social workers. We've really come a long way in building that kind of more integrated layered safety workforce."