I also want to just speak briefly on the Winterapolis Curling Plaza. Uh I'm really excited to see that, you know, there's a an event happening to um bring activity to Nicollet Mall in February. I think this will be really great to have during the Winter Olympics. I did share with the downtown council that my office representing W 7, I do get a lot of complaints from transit riders when the buses are detoured off of Nicollet Mall.

I can't support this item because I think it doesn't do enough to help us phase out our use of the herk facility and sets oursel up to be in a tricky position in a couple of years when we should be ending. And you know, we have policies from both the county and the city that we're working towards closure and repurposing the herk into something new.

I do not support this item. I will support your motion, but I want to be very be very clear if there is no changes, I will just not support this item at full counsel.

We did have a couple of language suggestions on it and I'm wondering if you'd be amendable to moving this forward without recommendation and work together on uh clarifying a couple of things as it relates to the energy that's produced at Henipin at the Herk.

The proposed project will construct approximately 0.3 miles of new parkway, which will connect the phase 1 West River Parkway with the 33rd Avenue North roundabout. uh to complete access and circulation uh through the upper harbor site. The new roadway will support future development including the community foring art center and upper harbor regional park.

No questions. Just want to say thank you so much. It's good to see this um on the agenda today. It is the kind of like the final connector to make sure that the north side is accessed throughout the the parkway and on the river. So, it's really nice to see this here and I appreciate the good work that you all are doing to make sure that the north side has full access to the river.

And just to briefly summarize what these amendments do, and they were uh requested by our utility partners, XL and Centerpoint, they move the date of implementation back to April 1st to allow the utilities to start implementing these fees on their timeline for their customer uh services. And the second amendment relates to the data that we're requesting from the utilities as well. and uh we're trying to make sure that that is in line with their privacy policies and and just collecting the data that the city needs while not infringing on the data privacy that the utilities have to uh conform to.

We had a great public hearing in our last committee meeting with over 50 people coming to speak in support. Uh, so I'm really grateful to everybody who's contributed, grateful for the partnership with the sustainability staff on providing us with data and modeling and different options to make sure that we can continue to improve on clean energy delivery and especially for the homes throughout the city who need it most uh on the north side, on the south side, low-income environmental justice communities and within the green zones.

We had a great public hearing in our last committee meeting with over 50 people coming to speak in support. Uh, so I'm really grateful to everybody who's contributed, grateful for the partnership with the sustainability staff on providing us with data and modeling and different options to make sure that we can continue to improve on clean energy delivery and especially for the homes throughout the city who need it most uh on the north side, on the south side, low-income environmental justice communities and within the green zones.

No as amended. Right. Yeah.

The state of Minnesota allows a city to create a pedestrian mall to protect public welfare, protect the interests of the public in the safe and effective movement of people, and to preserve and enhance the function and appearance of a city. To establish a pedestrian mall ordinance, the council must adopt a pedestrian mall ordinance which includes all the required statutory language.

Emergency vehicles would require the ability to access or drive through the pedestrian mall for emergencies in or near the pedestrian mall. As a result, the the design includes a 20 foot clear zone per the fire code. This zone cannot have any fixed or removable obstructions, including lights, signs, gates, ballards, trees, planters, seating, vendor carts, or snow storage.

This would increase northbound travel time by 7 to 10 minutes and four to six minutes of additional southbound travel time with a total round trip of 11 to 16 minutes in travel time compared to buses traveling straight through Chicago Avenue. If the Dline is on a permanent detour, Metro Transit's goal of 20 to 25% reduction in travel time cannot be met. Finally, the Dline project was partially funded with federal funds and a permanent detour would potentially require payback of federal funds.

Moving forward with a flexible open, we could begin construction in 2026. It's anticipated to take all of 26 27 and float into a little bit into 28. depends on the exact method of delivery, but I would anticipate utility work beginning in 2026 and um moving into full full construction all of 2027.

The story of 38th and Shai is one of black and brown entrepreneurship, community resilience, cultural expression, and collective survival. It is a corridor rooted in legacy and brimming with future possibility. We are home to deeply diverse network of businesses, blackowned, indigenous owned, immigrant owned, womenowned, and legacy establishments that have served this community through times of crisis and rebuilding.

Symbolic recognition, which is all that we've received thus far, is not enough. Real support means resources, access to capital, and long-term stabilization tools. To this end, we propose the establishment and funding of a dedicated 38th and Shai small business support plan, a district-wide economic development plan, and renewed public commitment to the 38th Street Thrive Plan with a minimum investment target of $10 million in this cultural district.

I hope that you hear the community. I hope that you hear us well. I hope that you hear the CBC behind us. Please note, we do not agree with the CBC plan either because it's very much like the public the pedestrian mall plan that's being presented. There's too much money that is being put and it's not being put in the right places.

On May 25th, 2020, the city of Minneapolis is responsible for the death of George Floyd, which erupted a global uprising and and and led a community resistance to take back the streets and stand for justice. The cities the streets were reimagined by the people as protests are filled in the intersection of 38th in Chicago, which now goes by George Floyd Square.

The 3,800 block of Chicago is a two-way street until we arrive at the turnaround in front of 3749 Chicago Avenue South. North of the memorial, the east side of the 37th00 block will have slanted parking. When we arrive to the point of the memorial, it'll be risen up to the same level as the regular sidewalks to make it a pedestrian space for those not just visiting memorial but also enjoying whatever is in this intersection.

One because the businesses will be able to have the investments and accountability that they need for people to enjoy their services. Two, the pedestrian traffic will increase because the design nurtures safe spaces for the community to engage as neighbors. as we also welcome visitors. Three, this monument space will be set in the future. Development of 38th Street, I mean 38th of Chicago and George Floyd Square must nurture community engagement and thriving neighbors and black excellence.

I want to understand is um some of the recommendations that are brought forward from both of the groups who spoke today involve some of those similarities involve some elements like uh flashing stop signs, involve slanted parking, involve a raised intersection, involve oneway southbound traffic. Um, and I want to hear a little bit from your engineering perspective about the feasibility of incorporating these elements into the design that you've already put forward.

Some of the other elements like the southbound um converting Chicago to a oneway um that's something that we need to do more evaluation on. And I think one thing that uh is probably worth clarifying that can be a little confusing because what we presented in the past uh looks like a drawing, you know, that it's a plan, but there's actually a lot of work that goes into that. And while it's not doesn't have every exact exactly where the curb's going to be or every like thing down to the the nearest inch, um we've had to evaluate drainage. We've had to evaluate things that go on underneath the ground.

I think it's safe to say would push construction until at least 2027.

Currently we have parking on both sides around director mentioned 15 spaces with angled parking. It would probably be closer to 13 maybe 14 spaces. So the angled parking would actually limit the park would decrease the amount of parking spots instead of increasing it.