►
Description
Mayor Jacob Frey will reveal the recommendations coming out of his Vibrant Downtown Storefronts Workgroup. City Council Members Goodman and Rainville, Workgroup Co-Chairs Steve Cramer, President and CEO of the mpls downtown council and Downtown Improvement District, and Gabrielle Grier, CIO of the African-American Leadership Forum, along with Workgroup members, City staff, and local business and community leaders will join the mayor to talk about the Workgroup’s process and final recommendations.
Convened late last year, the Workgroup was tasked with exploring opportunities to reinvent the storefront experience in downtown Minneapolis. Over the past few months, the group has analyzed downtown storefront space, along with local and national trends, to consider how those can be applied at both the street and skyway levels.
A
A
Yeah
extremely
yeah
well
good
afternoon,
everyone
it's
a
really
exciting
day
to
be
here,
as
we
roll
out
some
of
the
recommendations
from
our
vibrant
downtown,
storefronts
work
group.
So
back
in
December,
we
were
recognizing
that
downtowns
around
the
country,
in
fact
around
the
world,
are
going
to
be
changed
forever
and
we're
going
to
have
to
change
with
it.
It's
not
going
to
be
the
cities
that
cling
White
Knuckle
to
what
once
was
that
are
ultimately
successful.
A
It's
going
to
be
the
cities
that
are
on
The
Cutting
Edge
that
find
a
way
to
truly
succeed
in
this
new
style
of
economy,
and
indeed,
things
have
changed
dramatically.
This
whole
concept
of
remote
work
was
probably
inevitable,
but
it
got
expedited
by
five
to
eight
years
by
covid-19
and
a
global
pandemic.
A
When
you
have
fewer
people
that
are
coming
downtown
to
work,
it
has
a
massive
impact
on
retail
I've
talked
to
a
number
of
retail
owners,
both
restaurant
clothing
or
otherwise,
and
they've
all
said
that
the
number
one
factor
that
they're
dealing
with
right
now
is
not
having
the
same
customer
base
that
they
used
to
have
and
not
having
the
same
foot
traffic
that
they
used
to
have
now
as
a
downtown
collectively
we're
coming
back
in
a
big
way.
Hovering
between
65
and
70
percent
occupancy
is
a
really
great
step.
A
A
We're
gonna
have
to
lean
into
areas
that
might
not
have
been
tried
yet,
but
we're
going
to
look
at
the
best
data
and
listen
to
the
best
possible
experts
and
also
going
to
follow
some
really
Creative
Solutions
in
getting
us
to
where
we
need
to
go,
and
so
in
December
we
brought
together
the
downtown
vibrant
storefronts
work.
Group-
and
we
asked
a
central
question,
which
is:
how
do
we
create
a
vibrant
downtown
scene?
A
Moreover,
how
do
we
get
people
downtown
not
just
to
work
but
to
have
a
great
time
to
live,
to
create
that
kind
of
playground,
City
that
so
many
cities
around
the
country
are
now
trying
to
reimagine
things
are
going
to
change
dramatically
and
we
want
to
change
with
them,
and
what
became
immediately
apparent
is
that
the
answer
to
the
question
of
how
to
create
a
more
vibrant,
downtown
retail
scene
was
not
limited
to
retail
itself.
As
I
mentioned,
it's
going
to
include
how
our
downtown
Workforce
operates.
A
It
will
be
having
a
more
organic
approach
and
a
more
flexible
approach
with
how
we
Zone
how
we
regulate
and
how
we
authorize
storefront
use
on
Nicollet,
Mall
and
Beyond
retail
requires
customer
base,
as
I
mentioned,
it
requires
people,
and
so
how
do
we
bring
people
back
to
downtown?
That
is
not
in
the
traditional
format
and
if
you
look
at
the
ways
that
the
downtown
Council
has
already
begun
doing
that
in
the
way
that
we've
been
partnering
with
them
as
the
city,
it's
doing
things
like
programming,
1800,
plus
events.
A
Over
the
summer
time
there
is
going
to
be
more
programming
than
you
can
possibly
attend
and
you
can
possibly
handle
that
is
happening.
Downtown
people
have
said
getting.
People
back,
downtown
is
kind
of
a
chicken
or
the
egg
equation.
Well,
let's
just
start
with
the
egg
we're
going
to
supply
the
egg
by
making
sure
that
when
you
come
downtown,
it's
an
awesome
place
to
be.
When
you
experience
work
on
Tuesday,
Wednesday
or
Thursday
or
any
other
day
of
the
week.
You
have
a
great
time
doing
it.
A
You
see
music
out,
you
have
games
to
play,
you
have
fun.
Perhaps
you
get
a
drink
afterwards,
you
stay
for
several,
you
lose
track
of
time,
and
then
you
wander
home,
that's
the
kind
of
idea
that
we're
pushing
for
right.
Now.
This
is
a
playground
and
we
want
to
make
sure
that
we're
setting
downtown
up
to
be
something
really
special.
A
We
want
to
make
sure
that
we're
advocating
for
people
to
come
back
in
the
form
of
work,
but
also
making
that
transitional
use
to
residential
we're,
making
sure
that
the
way
we're
thinking
about
things
is
new
and
different,
and
that's
largely
the
direction
that
this
extraordinary
team
of
people
in
this
work
group
have
created.
I
want
to
give
a
big
thank
you
to
the
co-chairs
to
Gabrielle
Greer
and
to
Steve
Kramer.
A
They
have
been
bringing
together
a
coalition
of
of
leaders
of
creative
people
of
downtown
residents
that
can
help
to
dictate
the
direction
that
we're
ultimately
going.
You
know
and
I'm
well
aware
that
some
of
the
best
ideas
that
I've
had
are
not
my
ideas
at
all.
They
come
from
people
like
those
that
are
standing
behind
me
right
now
and
so
I'm,
so
appreciative
of
the
work
they
created
several
subgroups.
They
came
together
with
a
series
of
recommendations.
Some
of
those
recommendations
are
out
of
the
box.
A
A
Their
willingness
to
work
with
both
elected
officials
and
community
members
at
large
and
I
think
we're
really
on
the
right
track,
so
I
applaud
them
for
their
vision
for
their
leadership
and
this
work,
and
with
that
one
of
the
council
members
that
has
been
at
this
for
decades
has
been
working
intrinsically
on
a
day-to-day
basis
with
so
many
of
the
people
who
are
standing
here
behind
me
is
Lisa
Goodman
council
member
Lisa
Goodman
here
is
is
on
her
final
term
and
she
is,
is
going
out
on
fine
form.
Council.
C
For
me,
I
see
downtown
as
a
giant
village,
with
all
the
little
Villages
of
the
really
awesome
neighborhoods
that
represent
the
residential
population
of
downtown,
and
we
need,
as
a
city,
to
lean
into
all
of
these
Villages
from
Loring
Park
to
North
Loop
from
the
Mills
District
to
Elliott
park.
Each
of
these
parts
of
downtown,
including
the
central
business
district,
have
the
key
components
of
what
I
would
call
the
three-legged
stool
people
that
work
there.
C
People
that
live
here
and
people
who
visit
here
and
any
strategy
that
we
put
together
in
order
to
reinvent
our
downtown
community,
needs
to
lean
in
on
all
of
those
legs
of
the
stool.
They
don't
need
to
be
equal,
but
we
need
to
recognize
that
residents
make
a
difference.
50,
60,
000
residents,
downtown
24
7,
are
what
restaurants
need.
Visitors
make
a
huge
difference.
They
come
here
to
go
to
ball
games,
they
stay
to
see
Hamilton
and
they
participate
by
sleeping
in
hotels
and
keeping
people.
C
Working
and
Resident
workers
are
the
future
the
past
and
the
future
of
our
downtown.
It's
going
to
be
a
different
Workforce,
but
there's
going
to
be
a
Workforce
I
walk
over
here
today,
I
saw
more
food
trucks
than
I've
seen
downtown.
In
many
weeks
the
skyways
were
crowded,
but
so
were
the
streets,
and
so
ultimately,
the
work
of
this
task
force
I
had
the
Good
Fortune
to
sit
in
on
several
meetings:
leans
in
on
all
components
of
this
three-legged
stool.
C
How
to
make
businesses
succeed,
how
to
make
residents
voices
louder
and
how
to
create
services,
to
support
them
and
how
to
support
the
businesses
that
employ
workers
that
people
come
here
for
our
theaters,
our
Sports,
our
restaurants,
so
I'm
really
proud
to
have
had
the
opportunity
to
be
part
of
this
leadership
matters,
and
that's
why
all
of
these
great
people
are
here
today.
Thank
you
all
for
being
here
to
hear
what
they
have
to
say.
C
A
You
thank
you
councilmember
Goodman,
for
your
leadership
on
this
particular
issue
and
so
many
others.
Next
up
council
member
Michael
rainville,
who
has
a
long
history
in
making
sure
that
downtown
sees
its
fullest
and
finest
days
he
has
worked
for
meat
Minneapolis.
He
worked
in
the
tourism
industry.
In
fact,
I
think
he
worked
as
a
hotel
worker
himself
for
quite
a
while.
So
please,
council,
member
Michael
rainville.
Thank
you.
Thank
you,
mayor.
D
This
is
a
lot
better
job
than
washing
dishes
at
the
Sheridan
Ritz
hotel
I'll
tell
you
that,
but
I
I
want
to
thank
you
for
your
leadership,
mayor
Frye
and
thank
you
Gabrielle
and
Steve
and
Gabrielle
by
the
way.
That's
a
stunning
top
he's
like
it
looked
like
you
went
downtown
today,
but
what
I'm?
What
excites
me
so
much
is
this
shows
the
commitment
to
change
by
the
City
of
Minneapolis
by
both
its
staff
and
its
electives.
D
That
downtown
will
be
different
and
we
are
committed
to
helping
facilitate
that
change,
whether
it's
the
warehouse
business
district,
the
central
business
district
we
are
going
to
bring
Minneapolis
back
today,
is
just
an
example
of
that.
I
also
want
to
emphasize
that
Downtown
Minneapolis
is
not
only
the
economic
engine
of
the
Third
Ward,
it's
the
economic
engine
of
Minneapolis,
of
the
state
of
Minnesota
and
really
the
Upper
Midwest
region.
That
is
where
the
tax
dollars
are
created,
and
that
is
where
the
jobs
are
created.
D
It
is
so
important
to
bring
downtown
back
and
we
are
doing
that
and
that's
what
this
report
shows
on
a
very
personal
note,
I
love
the
phrase
about
studying
Nicollet
Mall
I
can
imagine
a
day
where
nickel
Maul
is
a
pedestrian-only
Zone.
Imagine
what
that'll
do
to
downtown
Minneapolis,
it's
controversial,
as
the
mayor
says
said,
but
we
have
to
look
at
that.
We
have
to
study
it.
I
think
it
can
be
done.
Thank
you.
A
Thank
you,
council,
member,
rainville
and
you're.
Exactly
right,
we
we
can
get
these
big
Visions
done
next
is
is
one
of
our
two
co-chairs,
Gabrielle
Greer,
who
has
been
not
just
advocating
for
what
a
future
of
downtown
could
look
like,
but
really
challenging
us
to
think
outside
and
Beyond
The
Box
she's
razor
sharp,
co-chair
Gabrielle
Greer.
E
All
right,
good
afternoon,
everybody,
as
everyone
has
said
so
far-
it's
been
absolutely
wonderful
to
be
a
part
of
the
work
group
to
be
able
to
share
this
with
Steve
Kramer.
A
big
part
of
my
work
was
to
think
about.
How
do
we
make
creative
and
ideas
last?
How
do
we
make
them
sustainable?
So
it's
the
intersection
of
thinking
about
strategy,
it's
thinking
about
what
was
and
is
thinking
about
what
can
be
and
coupling
those
together
to
make
something
awesome.
E
This
work
group
was
comprised
as
you've
seen
as
count
of
council
members
also
Architects
and
designers,
and
leaders
that
across
businesses
and
owners,
who've
been
a
part
of
the
downtown
experience
for
years
and
and
will
be
for
years
to
come,
I'm
most
excited
about
thinking
about
the
in
the
intersection
of
arts
and
culture
and
how
phenomenal
that
can
be
and
changing
the
landscape
of
downtown
and
how
that
gets.
People
excited
both
people
that
are
residents,
but
also
people
that
come
here.
E
A
Thank
you
so
much
gabriellen
for
all
of
your
work.
It
is
hugely
appreciated
and
I
I
really
love
how
hard
you
advocated
for
these
creative
recommendations.
Next
up
is
Steve
Kramer,
the
head
of
the
downtown
Council.
He
is
someone
who
immediately
stepped
up
when
we
wanted
to
pull
this
group
of
talented
people
together.
He
helped
take
the
reins
and
I
think
the
product
is
real,
extraordinary
Steve
thank.
F
You
well
thank
you,
mayor
fry,
for
pulling
this
group
together
and
Gabriella
was
a
pleasure
to
work
with
you
and
all
of
the
working
group
members,
many
of
whom
are
here
and
the
staff,
including
our
consultant
Peter
Brown.
They
did
a
wonderful
job
and,
as
others
have
said,
you
know
a
retail
past.
Multiple
department
stores
really
being
a
regional
shopping
destination
is
not
our
future,
but
it
doesn't
need
to
be
our
future
and
a
downtown
has
really
evolved
since
those
days
into
a
center
of
Commerce.
F
You
know
seven
Fortune,
1000
companies,
headquartered
here
major
sports
and
entertainment
venues,
great
restaurants,
a
thriving
Boutique
retail
environment,
a
North
Loop
just
asking
the
swindler
for
Martin
Patrick
growing
residential
population.
So
we
have,
as
the
mayor
said,
we
have
a
lot
going
for
us
even
after
these
last
hard
three
years.
F
F
F
As
I
said,
the
city
is
already
working
on
more
flexible
zoning
and
and
permitted
uses
we're
working
with
owners
to
incentivize
the
use
of
available
space
in
ways
that
the
report
calls
for
I
know,
there's
a
meeting
today
with
our
colleagues
at
Bulma
and
the
big
building
owners
and
managers,
and
we
also
have
a
model
for
how
this
can
work
through
our
chameleon
shops
program.
That
can
be
a
platform
for
even
broader
uses
and
then
finally,
don't
boil
the
ocean
all
at
once,
kind
of
focus
on
key
areas,
including
the
warehouse
District.
F
A
G
The
city
is
coming
back
from
the
pandemic
in
the
unrest
from
from
the
murder
of
George
Floyd,
and
that
is
evident
here
in
downtown
as
you've
heard.
There's
a
lot
of
activity
happening
here,
but
we
could
be
much
stronger,
and
so
the
mayor
has
asked
the
Department
of
Community
planning,
Economic
Development.
A
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
Eric,
as
he
mentioned,
we're
going
to
hit
the
right
ground
running
on
these
recommendations,
we're
not
going
to
be
sitting
on
our
hands
here,
we're
going
to
quickly
move
towards
implementation,
and
next
up
is
one
of
the
work
group
members
and
by
the
way,
a
downtown
resident,
who
has
a
whole
lot
at
stake.
Here
is
Mitch
Kelly.
H
H
Having
worked
aside,
my
much
greater
esteemed
work
group
members
I'm
a
big
fan
of
downtown
Minneapolis
I,
really
don't
leave
downtown
that
much
I'm
almost
exclusively
like
always
downtown
and
so
I've
submit
most
of
my
adult
life
living
working
and
playing
downtown
I'm,
truly
invested
and
committed
to
see
downtown,
be
as
robust
and
vibrant
as
possible.
Well,
every
made
every
major
city
in
the
nation
is
experiencing
similar
challenges.
H
I
sincerely
believe
that
we
have
an
unfair
advantage,
that
being
the
solid
foundation
of
downtown
housing,
world-class
theater,
multiple,
multiple
professional
sports,
Arenas,
iconic,
music
venues,
incredible
chefs
and
restaurants,
cultural
diversity
and
one-of-a-kind
annual
celebrations.
But
there
are
some
gaps
to
fill
working
through
Public
Safety
perceptions,
while
continuing
in
the
decline
in
downtown
crime
getting
work,
Workforce
back
in
the
office
more
often
and
consistently
extended
and
unified
skyways
and
yeah.
We
have
our
work
cut
out
for
us
all.
H
Two
real
challenges,
issues
and
roadblocks
have
been
identified
and
strategic
strategic
initiatives
and
ideas
will
be
put
to
test
with
metrics
of
success
in
place.
What's
more,
all
of
our
necessary
players
are
engaged
and
have
the
success
in
vibrancy
of
our
downtown
at
the
Forefront
and
held
at
the
utmost
importance.
H
Knowing
what
got
us
from
point
A
to
point,
B
may
not
be
the
same
that
what
takes
us
to
the
next
level
as
our
downtown
residential
population
continues
to
grow
for
those
of
who
those
of
us
who
live
downtown
it's
more
than
just
the
sum
of
our
parts.
It's
a
neighborhood,
a
neighborhood
in
the
heart
of
one
of
the
greatest
cities
in
the
country
and
the
most
uniquely
Minnesotan
City
Minneapolis.
A
Thank
you
so
much
Mitch
and
you
know
the
you're
right.
The
only
thing
that
I'm,
not
thrilled
with
about
this
work
group
is
the
name
and
I
think
I'm,
probably
more
fault
on
that
one
than
anybody
else.
But
thank
you
for
your
words,
and
you
know
this
is
really
an
important
point
in
time.
We
have
the
opportunity
to
be
on
The,
Cutting
Edge
and
to
change
the
trajectory
of
where
our
downtown
is
going,
and
we
don't
want
to
take
anything
off
the
table
here.
A
You
know
if
you
think
about
walking
down
your
favorite
downtown
Block
in
any
City,
your
favorite
City
other
than
Minneapolis
your
favorite
downtown
Block
in
the
entire
world.
What
is
the
one
commonality?
I
think?
It's
people
you
have
people
that
are
present
on
the
street,
there's
a
kind
of
vibrancy
as
part
of
the
street
atmosphere
that
sets
that
block
apart.
You
have
different
smells
and
different
restaurants.
You
have
different
kinds
of
people
in
different
stores.
A
A
We
want
to
provide
Organic
Solutions
and
we
want
to
make
sure
that
we're
accommodating
not
what
once
was
10
years
ago.
But
what
is
going
to
be
the
stage
in
five
years
from
now-
and
you
know
there
might
be
some
recommendations
that
catch
the
eye
or
the
attention
of
some
more
than
others
and,
of
course,
I'm
I'm
talking
about
the
closure
of
Nicollet
Mall
to
automobile
traffic
and
bus
traffic,
that's
something
that
we've
got
to
be
looking
at
very
seriously.
A
You
know
it's
I,
think
all
of
us
can
point
out
the
several
reasons
why
there
might
be
hurdles
or
why
we
shouldn't
do
something,
but
I
can
point
out
a
few
more
reasons
as
to
why
this
could
be
a
real
inspiration
in
bringing
our
down
to
the
next
hour
Downtown
to
the
next
level.
This
is
an
opportunity
right
now
and
it's
one
that
we
should
evaluate.
A
A
An
expansion
of
the
chameleon
storefront
Mission,
which
has
been
really
critical
over
the
last
couple
of
years
and
doing
it
more
and
better
and
also
you
know,
making
sure
that
we're
responding
to
what
is
happening
right
now
in
terms
of
retail
retail,
has
changed
and
I'm
I
was.
It
was
probably
six
or
seven
years
ago
way,
pre-pandemic
when
there
was
a
reporter
that
came
to
me
and
said.
Why
do
you
think
retail
is
dead
six
or
seven
years
ago
and
at
the
time
I
think
there
was
a
Sports
Authority
that
had
closed?
A
There
was
a
Barnes
and
Noble
that
had
shut
down
and
the
Macy's
was
in
the
process
of
of
heading
out,
and
the
answer
is
retail
is
not
dead.
It's
just
changed
dramatically.
We
need
to
change
with
it.
What
do
people
need
to
live
their
daily
lives
and
what
is
inspiring
people
to
come
to
a
downtown
location,
to
have
not
just
a
a
shopping
Excursion,
but
an
experience?
That's
what
we
got
to
be
looking
at
right
now
for
the
people
that
are
coming
down
to
work
Tuesdays
through
Thursdays
or
any
other
days.
A
A
My
kid,
my
daughter
Frida,
is
at
a
downtown
location
and
there's
a
playground
right
outside
there's
nothing
that
uplifts
people
like
that
and
by
the
way
it's
super
convenient
for
me
as
someone
who
works,
downtown
and
lives
just
across
the
river
from
it.
So
we're
looking
into
what's
next
here,
we're
leaning
into
what's
next
and
I
think
the
future
is
really
bright
because
we're
already
beginning
to
implement
some
of
these
recommendations.
So
thank
you
for
joining
with
that
I'll
answer.
Any
questions
that
you
might
have.
A
D
A
A
We
were
looking
at
adding
a
number
of
the
different
amenities,
improved
lighting,
improved
Street
infrastructure.
All
that
is
still
here
so
all
of
those
amenities
they
they
don't
go
anywhere.
The
fact
that
we
might
shift
up
and
we're
evaluating
the
shift
of
the
use
of
the
street
itself
doesn't
detract
from
the
amenities
that
are
already
in
place
on
Nicollet
Mall.
You
know,
I'll
give
you
an
idea
of
an
example
of
what
this
could
look
like
you
know.
This
is
not
just
tomorrow,
shutting
down
the
entire
Street
of
Nicollet.
A
A
I
want
to
give
you
a
little
bit
of
a
picture
for
what
this
could
ultimately
look
like
in
the
nearer
term.
In
the
short
term,
we
might
close
portions
of
the
street
for
a
week
or
two
weeks
at
a
time
to
experiment
as
to
what
this
could
ultimately
look
like
and
how
it
could
function
or
how
it
doesn't
work
at
all.
You
know
we're
not
going
to
continue
to
March
down
a
path.
That's
totally
non-functional.
That
being
said,
this
is
a
time
to
experiment.
A
When
I
ran
for
office
for
city
council
and
then
when
I
took
office,
one
of
the
big
pitches
for
North
Loop
was
we
wanted
all
of
it
together.
We
wanted
to
move
away
from
this
zoning
idea
where
you
put
all
the
residential
over
here,
the
commercial
over
there,
the
retail
here,
the
light
industrial
over
there,
the
entertainment
over
in
another
location.
We
said
all
of
it
together
and
when
you
have
a
beautiful
diversity
of
use,
you
get
a
beautiful
diversity
of
people
doing
different
jobs
from
different
backgrounds.
You
have
somebody
working
the
night
shift.
A
You
have
somebody
else,
who's
pushing
a
stroller.
Someone
else
is
heading
out
to
the
bar
on
a
date,
someone
else
going
for
a
run
when
you
have
that
beautiful
diversity
of
occupation
in
people.
You
also
have
a
an
outflow
of
people
through
all
times
of
the
Day
Day
and
Night
Safety
is
improved,
street
life
is
improved
and
the
vibrancy
of
a
neighborhood
is
improved.
Now,
let's
be
real,
that
style
that
we
pushed
in
North
Loop
does
not
exist
in
the
core
of
the
city.
Why?
A
A
What
is
clear
is
that
buildings,
for
the
most
part
that
have
gone
up
post-world
War
II
are
not
as
ripe
for
that
transition.
Why?
Because
they're
glass,
you
can
open
the
window.
The
floor
plate
doesn't
necessarily
work
for
someone
to
live
there
and,
if
you're
living
somewhere,
you
usually
wanted
the
ability
to
get
a
little
bit
of
air,
and
maybe
a
glass
of
water
I
mean
that's
just
kind
of
common
sense.
That's
a
whole
lot
harder
in
some
of
the
newer
building
stock.
A
Traditional
office
style
bathroom
to
a
toilet
in
every
room,
but
we're
not
limited
to
just
looking
at
that.
We
could
also
have
more
of
a
single
room,
occupancy
style
or
a
dormitory
style
use
which
could
be
more
affordable,
which
could
be
for
people
of
lower
incomes
that
could
work.
Is
it
going
to
be
totally
different
from
anything
that
we've
ever
done
before?
A
Absolutely
it
will
but
again
everything's
totally
different
right
now,
and
we've
got
to
lean
into
that
part
of
getting
the
vibrancy
on
the
street
is
not
just
getting
people
that
work
here,
but
people
who
live
here,
people
who
are
here
throughout
the
day
and
perhaps
tonight
as
well,
that's
what
the
residential
piece
is
about,
but
it's
not
limited
to
that.
You
know.
Like
I
mentioned,
we
want
people
bringing
their
kids
here
to
go
to
daycare.
We
want
activity
on
the
street,
that's
devoted
to
bars
and
restaurants.
A
B
Yes,
one
of
the
things
you
said
was
you
want
to
create,
make
downtown
a
playground
and
a
lot
of
people
who
live
downtown.
Probably
don't
like
to
hear
that
because
they
feel
like
downtown,
already
caters
too
much
to
Suburban
people
where
they
can,
they
don't
feel
like
it
downtown
works
for
them.
It's
a
lot
of
Skyler
restaurants
that
aren't
open
during
the
nights
or
the
weekends,
the
bars
that
are
for
Suburban
nights.
So
what
does
this
plan
do?
For
the
people
who
live
downtown?
Who
want
retail
Decatur
is
more
of
that.
A
Well,
so,
first,
when
I
use
that
phrase
just
need
to
be
clear
that
it
wasn't
my
own.
This
is
a
concept
that
that
Mayors
and
planners
are
talking
about
Nationwide,
not
just
for
downtowns,
but
on
cities
as
a
whole
and
what
they
can
become
downtown
is
a
playground,
a
city
as
a
playground
does
not
just
mean
a
bunch
of
bars
and
restaurants
for
people
coming
in
from
Anoka.
A
Of
course,
we
welcome
people
from
Anoka,
but
in
addition
to
that,
a
playground
means
a
place
where
you
feel
comfortable.
You
can
feel
safe
and
you
can
have
a
whole
lot
of
fun.
That
could
mean
extending
how
parades
function.
That
could
mean
bringing
back
holodazzle
that
could
make
showing
up
Nicollet
Nicollet
Mall,
and
this
is
a
big
thing.
You
know
I
believe
that
Nicollet
Mall
could
be
the
best
Winter
Street
in
the
entire
world.
A
That
they're
decorating,
along
with
some
of
their
friends
like
there's
some
big
opportunities
here
to
really
lean
into
this
style
of
play
and
what
downtown
can
become
now,
in
addition
to
playing
people
live
here,
people
work
here
and
so
of
course
you
need
to
accommodate
that
as
well,
and
that's
what
I'm
talking
about
and
shifting
how
we
normally
think
of
retail.
It
is
convenient
for
people
to
be
able
to
drop
their
kids
or
their
dog
for
that
matter
off
at
a
daycare.
A
A
B
A
A
Well,
as
with
anything
at
City
Hall,
there
are
externalities
and
repercussions
to
any
decision,
and
so
it's
not
like
we
can
just
do
something
and
make
a
decision
unilaterally
wholesale
and
close
off
the
streets.
Tomorrow
we
have
buses
that
run
down
Nicollet
Mall,
and
so
we
need
to
make
sure
that
the
the
lines
work
for
Metro
Transit
for
the
people
that
take
the
bus
and
for
cueing
in
terms
of
the
bus
not
blocking
the
intersection
itself.
Yeah,
that's
that's
gonna!
That's
gonna!
Take
some
work.
A
There
are,
you
know,
repercussions
in
terms.
There
are
things
to
consider.
I
should
say
as
far
as
how
much
of
the
mall
is
closed
down
and
where
it's
closed
down,
you
know
you
don't
want
a
pedestrian
mall
that
isn't
activated
with
both
people
and
programming.
It
needs
to
be
activated
with
people
and
it
needs
to
be
activated
with
programming,
and
we
need
to
plan
ahead
to
make
sure
that
it's
done
really
well
yeah.
That'll.
A
Take
some
time
now
doing
it
on
a
more
temporary
basis
is
not
going
to
take
as
much
time
showing
people
what
this
could
look
like
and
what
it
could
feel
like
for
a
span
of
say
a
week
or
two:
that's
something
that
we
can
absolutely
accomplish
and
I
think
we've
got
a
number
of
great
opportunities
to
do
exactly
that
and
again
I.
Don't
want
to
tell
you
too
much
because
I
want
you
to
walk
down
the
street
with
me
here,
but
we've
got
the
taste
of
Minnesota
coming
to
Nicollet
Mall.