MINNEAPOLIS— Business owners in the struggling corner where a Minneapolis police officer sat George Floyd murdered filed a lawsuit against the city in 2020 to demand that it take over their property and compensate them.
In a lawsuit filed last week in Hennepin County, the owners of the Cup Foods grocery store and other businesses operating near 38th Street and Chicago Avenue allege that the city’s failure to address the neighborhood’s decline and crime has ruined their businesses and constitutes an unlawful takeover. of their property without just compensation. They are seeking $30 million in damages.
The area, now known as George Floyd Squarehas become a place of pilgrimage for social justice advocates from across the country, and the store has rebranded itself as Unity Foods. But business owners say they have failed to benefit, while activists and officials remain divided over how to transform the intersection while preserving it as a permanent memorial.
Floyd subsequently died Derek Chauvina white officer, held his neck to the sidewalk outside Cup Foods for 9.5 minutes, despite the black man’s pleas, “I can’t breathe.” The ensuing protests, which sometimes turned violent, tested Gov. Tim Walz’s leadership at one of the state’s most consequential moments and led to a nationwide reckoning over racism and police misconduct. Chauvin was convicted of murder.
The legal action states that the companies have lost revenue, property value, reputation and tenant and rental income. It states that the city’s decisions have led to increased crime and created a ‘no go zone’ for police in the area. It replaces a previous lawsuit by the companies that were laid off two months ago.
Michael Healey, the attorney representing the companies, tells WCCO that a new lawsuit will be filed in Hennepin County in the coming days. He represents seven other businesses along 38th and Chicago. The price tag on that will be a little over $30 million.
“We are asking the court to order Mayor Frey and the city to reimburse my clients, initiate property seizure proceedings and restore police protection to the intersection,” Healey said.
A city spokesperson said in a statement that while the city cannot comment on pending litigation, it “understands the challenges residents and businesses have faced in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.”
Since Floyd’s murder and the construction of George Floyd Square, the city has been considering the future of the intersection. It has held up a series of community workshops to hear the public’s feedback, and met with area entrepreneurs.
The city’s current vision is to redesign and rebuild the intersection to preserve it as a gathering place to honor Floyd, while increasing community safety and providing “clear and reliable access for residents, businesses and visitors.” , according to a draft plan released last month.
The project timeline currently extends to 2027.
