MINNEAPOLIS – Minneapolis city leaders are ready to move forward with a plan for the Third Precinct police station that burned down during the 2020 civil unrest and has sat vacant ever since. But the proposal — which would move municipal election services there — still faces some resistance from the City Council and will take years to implement.
The plan would renovate the building and turn it into a “democracy center,” moving election services from a building the city leases in Northeast Minneapolis to that location and also creating 8,000 square feet of community space.
City staff presented to the City Council during a committee meeting Tuesday the findings of two surveys of residents showing broad support for the changes, which have been the subject of debate in recent years. Community involvement was a request from the council and results show support outweighing opposition by more than three to one.
“It’s time for our city to move forward. It is time for a vision for the old Third Precinct building to take shape,” Mayor Jacob Frey said at a press conference before the meeting.
Council members did not formally vote on the concept but discussed the proposal, which still requires formal draft planning. Frey and his staff said they plan to move forward with it, although they will ultimately need Council support to fund parts of the project.
The meeting took place just one day after the Republican vice presidential nomination Senator JD Vance held a press conference outside the police stationt, accusing his opponent, Governor Tim Walz, of failing in leadership at the time.
“Let’s not give J.D. Vance a prop to use in a political way,” Frey said of the four years the police department has existed without any change.
Margaret Kelliher, city official, said the goal would be for the project to be completed in 2029, when the city’s current lease on the building that houses election services expires. Work is underway to repair the inside of the Third Precinct building, such as replacing windows and elevator shafts, although the exterior is still guarded by fencing and in some cases covered in barbed wire.
But some on the council would prefer to see the site completely transformed into a community space and raised concerns about some of the necessary renovations to move election services to that location, including a storage space that officials say is necessary for the safety of election equipment and which would also provide scope for training poll workers.
“The community I represent is tired of fighting for crumbs when they should be earning and getting the whole bread. That is what I told my residents I would fight for,” said Councilman Jason Chavez.
The meeting became tense at times as council members sparred over the vision for the site, which is simply called the 3000 Minnehaha address. [Avenue] in discussion. The council separately approved a new location for the police station last year, a building that the city has purchased and will renovate.
“It feels like some of my colleagues are desperate for any objection to 3000 Minnehaha and this has been going on for too long,” said Council Member Linea Palmisano. “Enough is enough.”
