Minneapolis City Council advances plan to relocate the Third Precinct
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The Minneapolis City Council advanced plans to relocate the police department's Third Precinct to Century Plaza on Tuesday.
Moving forward, the Third Precinct and the First Precinct will share a location at 1101 Third Avenue South, near the Minneapolis Convention Center.
The Third Precinct facility will occupy the upper floors, sitting directly above the First Precinct facility. The two facilities will be connected by stairs and elevators but will have separate dedicated operational, office, and conference space for both police departments.
This comes after a long back-and-forth with the south side community regarding where the precinct should go following the murder of George Floyd. Three years ago, rioters set fire to the precinct following the police murder of Floyd, and vandals ransacked the building. At first, the city planned to rebuild in south Minneapolis.
The two sites that were under initial consideration were the former precinct facility at 3000 Minnehaha Avenue, and a vacant city-owned lot at 2600 Minnehaha Avenue.
Neighbors, business owners, and other community partners opposed the city's plans, saying that the city hasn't really engaged with the people who live here.
"It turned into an either/or and not an open conversation," Longfellow Community Council executive director Rachel Boeke said.
The city did ask for the community's feedback through a survey and public meetings within the last few years. A survey conducted by the city shows that 75% don't want to see police enter into either building proposal.
The option to move the precinct to Century Plaza was originally pitched back in July.
The new Third and First Precinct could open as soon as early 2025. The entire building is currently in the process of being renovated.
NOTE: The original air date of the video attached to this article is July 19, 2023.