Reimagining Lake Street
Two years after the destruction that followed George Floyd’s murder, local communities aren’t just rebuilding and restoring. They’re reimagining what they can be.
On Lake Street alone, more than 500 businesses were damaged in the dark days following George Floyd’s murder. Uninsured damage from the destruction of 2020 has been estimated at more than $200 million along Lake Street and other local corridors. In the aftermath, small business owners like barber James Bynum asked themselves, “Where do I go from here?”
In response, people across our community showed up—first to sweep up broken glass, then to tackle the long, hard work of rebuilding.
Two years later, the fruits of that labor are growing. Along Lake Street and other hard-hit corridors, repaired facades, new murals, and customers opening the freshly repainted doors of restaurants and shops are the most visible signs of recovery work that began in 2020. Just as important are the seeds being planted today, as nonprofits and small businesses team up to plan ambitious revitalization projects that will empower residents and entrepreneurs of color.
The Minneapolis Foundation has been part of this work from the start, joining a host of nonprofits, government, businesses, and generous individuals who are supporting local neighborhoods and business owners as they reimagine what they—and our community—can be.
In September, we toured Lake Street, one of our city’s most important commercial corridors and a great example of work we are fueling throughout the metro. We heard from nonprofit partners at the Lake Street Council, Neighborhood Development Center, Redesign Inc., and Project for Pride in Living at visited the sites of exciting new redevelopment projects at the Coliseum Building and 3030 Nicollet.
Check out this map to explore what we saw and ways we are contributing to this work.
