Minneapolis Downtown Council publishes 2035 Plan
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Downtown Council aims to attract visitors and retain businesses through its 2035 Plan.
The 10-year vision for downtown Minneapolis has several recommendations, including improvements to the skyway system, widening access to public restrooms, creating an outdoor skating rink and more.
The council says the plan "recognizes that society has adjusted to post-pandemic realities that many Twin Cities folks now enjoy a more livable, convenient, and amenity-rich landscape" and looks to address that current gap.
"In 2035, a thriving downtown Minneapolis will be a cornerstone of everyday life in the Twin Cities, elevating the economic strength and cultural richness of the entire state," the plan's vision states.
The plan has four strategic priorities: Neighborhood cultivation, foundational safety, hassle-free systems and irresistible vibe.
The plan calls for building a coalition to transform the post office site — an eight-acre area that sits along the riverfront. The council acknowledges that there is no proposal on the table so their main goal is to brainstorm ideas of what to do with the site, even if that includes just redeveloping it.
The council also wants to make the skyway more friendly — one of the ways of doing that is by including digital smart screens that can help guide people around the nine-mile system. The plan also suggests using the skyway roofs as restaurant space among other ideas to revamp and put a fun twist on the "loveable but boring" system, as the council calls it.
The plan hopes to create an "irresistible vibe" by bringing at least one Michelin Star restaurant downtown. That means creating and funding a coalition to work with the Michelin Guide. The council says that an investment in Michelin recruit could, in return, have a 10% economic return across tourism and "related 'gastroeconomy' sectors."
"It's exciting and it does feel like we're entering a new era," Ben Shardlow with the Minneapolis Downtown Council said.
To read the entire 2035 plan and see all of its proposals, click here.
In 2010, the downtown council published the 2025 Plan, which called for the Metrodome to be turned into a lake with homes surrounding it. While that didn't happen, other goals were reached, such as adding 3 million square feet of office space, increasing the residential population, transforming Nicollet Mall and creating more transportation options.
