The City of Minneapolis has planned a series of community-wide discussions for next month to discuss a future building for the Police Department’s 3rd Precinct, which was damaged during the civil unrest and civil protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
The 3rd Precinct is a police enforcement area in south Minneapolis that’s east of Interstate 35W and south of Interstate 94. Since 2020, officers patrolling the precinct have operated out of a downtown facility, which is outside of the precinct’s geographic boundaries.
“Right now, people within the 3rd Precinct area do not have the same access to public safety services as people in other areas of Minneapolis,” said the city’s government in a released statement. “Police precincts offer 24-hour walk-in assistance to anyone who needs help, and they can also provide space for a variety of community needs. In order to restore that level service to people who live in, work in and visit the 3rd Precinct area, the City is beginning the process to bring a functioning precinct building back to south Minneapolis.”
The two sites under consideration are the former precinct facility at 3000 Minnehaha Ave. and a vacant City-owned lot at 2600 Minnehaha Ave. These were chosen after a survey of several potential sites, which was conducted from July 2020 through December 2022. This survey reportedly considered each site’s advantages as well as potential obstacles to access and construction.
“Identifying two viable locations for the 3rd Precinct building has been an enterprise-wide effort, and I’m grateful to our staff who have worked around the clock to produce a thorough analysis for neighbors to consider,” Mayor Jacob Frey said. “The next phase of this process will undoubtedly be marked by debate and discussion, but we should all agree on one thing: there should be a 3rd Precinct building in the 3rd Precinct.”
3rd Precinct community conversations
- Business owner session: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11 at The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge, 3010 Minnehaha Ave.
- General public session: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13 at Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St.
- General public session: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at Roosevelt High School, 4029 S. 28th Ave.
- General public session: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19. Location to be determined.
The City is working with DeYoung Consulting and Longfellow Community Council to implement a community engagement plan for the MPD’s 3rd Precinct and the facility at Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue. They said the goal is to collect feedback from community members to help inform future decisions about the location of the 3rd Precinct function. There will reportedly be a project website to share information, an online survey and a series of community meetings and conversations.
More information is available at minneapolismn.gov/3rd-precinct-building.
