The Arts District Land Trust Task force (a mix of Arts District board members and community members) is at the table helping the city of Minneapolis bring its zoning into alignment with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Our goal: To identify and develop tools to preserve and even improve the amazing creative ecosystem that is the Arts District while supporting new affordable housing development where it is appropriate, by developers who truly have the District’s and neighborhoods’ interests at heart.

Group representatives met with Michael Rainville, Ward 3 and Elliott Payne, Ward 1 city council members, their aides and other interested parties. We will meet again, soon with city zoning staff. Both council members agreed on preserving existing arts spaces, and much remains to be done in the much bigger picture of preserving industrial land for use by people who make things.

Readers, if you have political connections in Minneapolis outside of Northeast and would like to help, or if you know of a developer who might be a good resource for their global, bridging view of how commerce, industry and housing work, please contact: info@northeastminneapolisartsdistrict.org