A former Third Precinct resident who still has a business there wants to build an ambitious Black cultural center where the former Third Precinct building stands. It looks like he will have several formidable obstacles to overcome.
In a presentation last month at the Hook and Ladder Theater, located right next to the former Third Precinct building, Mama Sheila’s House of Soul co-owner and Blaine resident Fred Brathwaite proposed building two six-story towers shaped in the headwraps of African women emerging from a two-story podium.
After speaking with community members and forming a nonprofit, Brathwaite proposes the site include a national memorial built in granite dedicated to those who have been killed by police, a community center, a coworking space, community meeting rooms, a museum that describes the experiences of Black people as it relates to the Atlantic Slave Trade, and a rooftop restaurant and wedding venue where servers will be required to wear tuxedos.
“We want something unique that’s gonna bless our community. We do not want some big bankroller to come in here and drop some apartment complexes. We don’t want another 7-Eleven, or another Wendy’s, or another strip mall,” said Brathwaite.
Some at the meeting were concerned about how the project could affect the surrounding community. “We need to consider the YWCA… The YWCA has been doing such great work for the community for a long time, and there’s a Planet Fitness across the street. And what is the long-term impact on property values and people who can afford to continue to stay in the neighborhood?” asked Jeanelle Austin, a Third Precinct resident who lives near George Floyd Square and is the executive director of the George Floyd Global Memorial.
Geneva Dorsey is among the many supporters of the project. “It’s way overdue. It’s one of the best [proposals] I heard. I don’t care if the Y[WCA] is here. If Sabathani wanted this, they would have done it by now,” said Dorsey.
Others were worried about how the organization would receive funding because of the project’s scale. Project sponsors have incorporated as a nonprofit as a way to get funding from entities such as Fortune 500 companies and people like football players to build the vision out. This has Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley worried.
“Those $20 million checks from Target? They are not ‘no strings attached.’ There is also a possibility that when Target gets tired of doing its anti-racist checklist, they might say they want to back out. And then what happens here?” said Wonsley.
Perhaps most important is how the project accounts for the families who have lost loved ones to police violence. “There are many bodies that came after George Floyd. When I think of a space that has been included with causing a lot of trauma, which was the Third Precinct, I think about how can we include the healing part for the community?” said Toshira Garraway, executive director of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence.
“And recognizing the trauma? The people that are really hurting in this state…the impacted families’ voices [need] to [be brought to] the table.”
Other challenges remain. The city still owns the land and building that formerly housed the Third Precinct, and has no immediate plans to give it up. The MSR reported in December the city planned to relocate its election headquarters there, while also setting aside 25 percent of the space for community use. They plan to begin engaging the community about that use, which they are calling the Minnehaha 3000 project, in early March.
Councilmember Jason Chavez, who represents the site where the Third Precinct was formerly headquartered, believes the community should lead the discussion on what should happen to the site.
“The City of Minneapolis is planning to do an election voters center in this location, something that particularly I have not heard a single community member say that they support.” said Chavez. “What I would prefer to see is a community process that allows for community ownership that can encompass a lot of things you heard tonight, but that is developed by the community.”
The building as designed may not meet what the city allows at the intersection. Though this proposal appears to be allowed by the city, the city and some neighbors are likely to object to four levels of underground parking at the site, considering Metro Transit has a light rail line two blocks to the west and will open a rapid, frequent and high-capacity bus line on Lake Street next year. Also, the site is blocks away from two major bike trails.
Brathwaite believes it is important to have car parking there because he expects it to be a national destination. “People are not only going to come from around here, but they’re gonna come from way out to see this place. And they’re gonna have to drive here. It’s the nature of man, what we build is going to be so exciting,” said Brathwaite.
Meanwhile, the city will begin cleaning up the former Third Precinct site. They plan to remove the temporary barriers that have created a fortress at the Southside intersection this spring, along with repairing doors and windows and performing maintenance checks.
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As a resident of the George Floyd Square area for over 30 years (and a South Minneapolis resident for over 40 years), this is, hands down, the best idea I’ve seen to date. It’s unique. It’s inclusive. It serves many purposes. I truly do not understand why people are opposing this. Also, what do Planet Fitness and the YMCA have to do with this? It’s not like the new Black cultural center would be competition for either one of those. I hate to sound cliche, but if Minneapolis can come up with money for bike lanes and water fountains, we can certainly come up with the funds to cover the cost of this! Please do a follow up article to let people know how we can get involved with promoting this idea. Thank you!
As a resident of the George Floyd Square area for 30 years (and a S. Minneapolis resident for over 40 years) this is, hands down, the best idea I’ve seen so far. It’s unique. It’s inclusive. It serves many purposes. I truly don’t understand why people are opposed to this. I hate to sound cliche, but if Minneapolis can come up with money for bike lanes and water fountains, we can certainly come up with the funds for this. Also, what does the YMCA and Planet Fitness have to do with this? It’s not like a Black Cultural Center would be competition for them. Please do a follow up article and let people know how we can get involved in getting this idea out to the public and keeping this idea in motion. Thank you.