Minneapolis City Council — Transcript
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Housing Stability and Homelessness Prevention
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship Support
Commercial Licensing and Entertainment
Emergency Shelter Provision
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Management
Demolition Permit Regulations and Environmental Protection
Tenant Protections and Homeownership Pathways (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase - TOPA)
Residential Development and Zoning Appeals
Votes (11)
Consent Agenda Items 11-28
Dissent: None
Moved by Orin Chowry, Vice Chair [00:04:47] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Vice Chair Chowry highlighted a 'fiscal cliff' affecting the 'Stable Home Stable Schools' program (Item 19), noting that while expansion to middle school and early childhood children is currently not possible, the reauthorization ensures continued support for elementary students. Council Member Cashman praised the 'Ownership and Opportunity Fund loans' and 'Great Streets Gap Loan' programs for empowering BIPOC entrepreneurs. Chowry also noted Item 28, 'Report related to pet restrictions and rental properties,' would be deferred to the next term.
Public Hearing: Liquor License Approval for Curioso Coffee Bar
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Cashman [00:08:44] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Inspector Beth Dominguez presented the application for Curioso Coffee Bar (3001 Hennepin Avenue South) for an on-sale wine, strong beer, and limited entertainment license. Owner Luke explained the intent to expand the funding model and host events like acoustic music, art gatherings, and comedy shows. Council Member Cashman expressed support, noting the positive impact on the Uptown commercial corridor.
Public Hearing: General Entertainment and Business Plan Amendment for Lumi Restaurant and Bar
Dissent: None explicitly for the vote, but Council Member Rainville raised questions about police sign-off during discussion.
Moved by Council Member Vita [00:12:49] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Christina Stester presented Lumi Restaurant and Bar's application (921 Nicollet Mall) to upgrade its entertainment license to allow DJ and dancing, with extended hours. Owner Tang Gord explained the cultural significance of dancing for his Turkish clientele and the desire to create a cohesive event space, noting current limitations require staff to tell patrons to stop dancing. Council Member Vita proposed moving the item forward without recommendation to allow staff to coordinate meetings with community members about safety plans, a motion which was approved. Concerns were raised by Council Member Rainville regarding police sign-off on the safety plan, given the location outside typical late-night zones. Vice Chair Chowry and Council Member Cashman supported the late-night activation on Nicollet Mall, acknowledging its potential to serve customers from nearby venues like the Armory.
Public Hearing: Interim Use Application for Emergency Shelter by Hennepin County
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Cashman [00:26:40] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Alex Kohhos presented Hennepin County's application for an interim use permit to allow an emergency shelter with up to 50 beds at 219 4th Street South until August 31, 2026. A Hennepin County representative clarified that the shelter acts as a 'first stop' for families, supporting a 'shelter all policy' to prevent child homelessness, with staff available 24/7 for services. They noted zero turnaways since the program's inception in Christmas 2023. Council Member Cashman expressed strong support for the initiative to serve families experiencing housing instability.
Public Hearing: Approving Modifications to Tax Increment Financing Plan for 59 TIF Districts
Dissent: None
Moved by Orin Chowry, Vice Chair [00:33:51] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Matthew Hendrickx from Finance and Property Services explained the proposed modifications to 59 TIF district budgets. These updates clarify previous transfers of $17 million to the affordable housing trust fund under 2021 special legislation and add future budgetary capacity for pooling TIF funds for affordable housing. He stressed that these modifications are for efficiency and do not appropriate funds but enable future council actions for spending.
Public Hearing: Approving three Planning Commission Appointments
Dissent: None
Moved by Orin Chowry, Vice Chair [00:35:48] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Kimberly Helen from CPED Planning presented the reappointments of Kelly Jones, Dave Shepard, and Tom Wagner to the Planning Commission. Vice Chair Chowry voiced strong support for the reappointments, noting their dedication and value as her peers on the commission.
Public Hearing: Property Assessment for Clean Energy (PACE) located at 222 9th Street South
Dissent: None
Moved by Orin Chowry, Vice Chair [00:38:51] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Becky Shaw from CPED Business Development presented a request to adopt and levy a special assessment for PACE Energy Financing at 'The 222 property' (222 9th Street South) and to amend a joint powers agreement with the St. Paul Port Authority. The financing, totaling $12.5 million, will fund a $31.7 million major retrofit for energy efficiency improvements in the 41-story commercial building, covering HVAC, insulation, lighting, and a new chiller system.
Public Hearing: Amendment to the Land Sale Sideyard Program Properties Resolution
Dissent: None
Moved by Orin Chowry, Vice Chair [00:41:27] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Narin Siaong from CPAD Housing presented an amendment to the Land Sale Sideyard Program resolution to add two properties: 1900 Penn Avenue North and 2756 Queen Avenue North. These city-owned sideyard properties in the Fifth Ward (Jordan and Willard Hay neighborhoods) are intended for sale to adjacent property owners under a program established in 2016.
Public Hearing: Ordinance related to requirements with the demolition and wrecking of structures within the building code
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Chavez [00:46:16] · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Steve Poor from CPED Development Services introduced amendments to the wrecking permit ordinance to enhance public noticing (350-foot radius mailing) and require environmental mitigation plans for sites with potential contamination. Council Member Chavez emphasized that these changes were a direct response to community concerns, notably after demolition work at Smith Foundry in the Phillips neighborhood, and highlighted the collaborative effort between city staff and community members. Discussion also touched on the scope for emergency demolitions, and potential future considerations for deconstruction incentives and updated penalties for permit violations.
Public Hearing: Ordinance entitled Tenant Protections, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA)
Dissent: Council Member Vita (Aye), Council Member Jenkins (Aye) for the motion to return to author. Council Member Cashman (Nay), Council Member Chavez (Nay), Vice Chair Chowry (Nay) for the motion to return to author.
Moved by Council Member Vita [01:36:26] (to return to author) · Seconded by Not explicitly stated
Vice Chair Chowry announced that the ordinance's co-authors (Council Member Ellison and Council Vice President Chugtai) were not recommending a vote today, requesting it remain in committee for further time and refinement. Public testimony saw strong advocacy for TOPA as an anti-displacement and wealth-building policy for renters, particularly BIPOC families, citing examples like Miss Linda's home in Powderhorn Park and successful models in DC. Opponents, including realtors and property managers, raised significant concerns about extended sales timelines (8 months or more), financial burdens on property owners, lack of tenant resources for purchases, potential for reduced housing investment, and administrative costs. Council Member Vita moved to return the ordinance to the author, a motion that failed. The ordinance therefore remains in committee without a vote at this time, aligning with the authors' request.
Public Hearing: Conditional Use Permit Appeal, Site Plan Review Appeal, and Administrative Height Increase Appeal (4109 and 4113 Sheridan Avenue South)
Dissent: The Lynen Hills Community Coalition, represented by Tom Dink, filed the appeal, arguing against the project's proposed height and environmental compliance claims.
Moved by No motion recorded in transcript · Seconded by No motion recorded in transcript
Lindsay Silas presented an appeal concerning approvals for a four-story, 13-unit residential building at 4109 and 4113 Sheridan Avenue South. The appeal involves a conditional use permit for height in the Shoreland Overlay District and an administrative height increase for a climate resiliency premium. Appellant attorney Tom Dink, representing the Lynen Hills Community Coalition, argued the project was oversized for the neighborhood, lacked sufficient verification for its climate resiliency premium, and negatively impacted nearby solar installations. Applicant Josh Seagull countered that the project meets all ordinance standards, mitigates shadow impacts, aligns with the Minneapolis 2040 plan for increased residential intensity, and incorporates community feedback into its design. Public comment further highlighted neighbor concerns about the scale and environmental claims.
Notable Quotes (22)
Unfortunately, there is a fiscal cliff that the stable home, stable schools program is currently facing. And um this came to light earlier this summer... we want to make sure that the program is able to function and still support the thousands of families um that are supported across Minneapolis public schools for elementary school age children and their families.
I think this is just a really incredible program that the city has to help get ownership into the hands of um BIPAC entrepreneurs in the city that can own their buildings and and grow their businesses along the commercial corridors of our city.
We are primarily a coffee shop. Uh, we're just hoping to expand into, uh, wine and beer uh, just to expand our funding model. We are planning to host events and we have hosted events previously.
I am Muslim and the Muslim community that they are coming over there they want to have like the wedding for example but our license is not allowing to them to dance over there. So like this is keeping the I mean like the we are doing business and we are like the keep like the almost like the 50 people working over there for our restaurant but limitating to like the getting more people over there is like the just keeping like the us going down and using like the space not like the very
I was going to propose moving this forward without recommendation and hoping that staff could confirm that they will schedule this meeting with um these community members.
it's great to have late night options on Nicollet Mall because the the Armory is a venue that's not too far away and there's not a lot of [snorts] uh postshow places to go near the Armory and Nicollet Mall is attracting a lot of those customers that just next to you, you know, Bario and those the local and other pubs.
So, uh we have uh it's it's a first stop for families. So we are a shelter all polic uh we have a shelter all policy for families in Henipin County and the goal is for no child to sleep outside.
As a matter of efficiency, we are also updating TIFF plan budgets to accommodate potential future pooling for affordable housing for most active TIF districts. The addition of budgetary capacity to pool for affordable housing does not [clears throat] excuse me does not mean that any specific amount will be pulled. However, having a designated budget line item allows pooling for affordable housing within the limits of tiff law and based on actual revenues and obligations of each district.
I'll just very briefly state that uh these three members are very dedicated. They're my peers on the planning commission and I'm really excited to see them come back.
The project includes $31.7 million in improvements such as HVAC modifications and replacements, insulation, lighting, heat recovery, water use, efficiency improvements, automatic energy control systems, and a new chiller system.
The heart of this ordinance is really to kind of bring it in line with the construction management agreement ordinance that gives a broader notice when there's going to be a demolition of a property under the CMA as we call it. single family homes uh that are going to be demolished send out a 350 foot mailing to the adjacent properties to let them know what's coming.
In response to those concerns, community members, neighborhood associations, folks, and Phillips came together with our city staff and worked together on an internal work group to come up with recommendations uh where both our staff and the community were able to come together to bring this ordinance forward.
I would just say that when we look at fines, fines are intended to be coercive, not punitive. And to your point, I think some of those fines do not coers better behavior.
Tenant opportunity to purchase offers them a meaningful chance to stay in their homes, build collective power, and in some cases take steps towards ownership that the market almost never makes available to them. It is fundamentally an anti-displacement policy rooted in fairness, stability, and wealthb buildinging.
This ordinance makes it extraordinarily difficult to sell a rental property in the city. A normal sale can take, you know, 30 to 60 days. There are of course some variables, but under this ordinance, the stacked time frames for tenants and qualified organizations can easily stretch that to 8 months or more.
The status quo is not a free market. Large corporations and institutional investors, which have benefited from preferential tax treatment and mortgage interest deductions, will always have an advantage over individual renters. when it comes to buying a property, a topo ordinance would level the playing field.
I think about Miss Linda who was almost forced to leave her home and you had Powder Horn Park neighbors come together, fundraised and helped keep Miss Linda in her home. Neighbors would have not had to do that should we had a strong tenant opportunity to purchase act policy in place by this city of Minneapolis.
I I hear about the Miss Linda, who I who I know very well, I've known for decades. Um, had this ordinance been in effect at the time, she would not have been able to purchase the house, she didn't have the resources. That's why the neighborhood community members had to come together and help to build those resources. It would have been the same thing with TOPA.
My client's not against the project. Uh, we're against some aspects of the project, and we'd like it to be in conformity with the existing code, but without the conditional use permit. Uh that's objectionable to the coalition. Uh and we think the administrative height increase which which adds an entire floor to the project right on Sheridan Avenue is objectionable at this phase of the project.
It's not realistic to say go ahead and build the four stories and then we'll check and see if there's compliance with the climate resiliency uh qualities that earn them the hype premium. Uh that should be part of the plans today and the impacted neighbors should be able to see that.
Our goal in the next few minutes is simple to reaffirm how the project meets the cup and shorland overlay standards. To clarify our environmental compliance for the height premium and to show that the appeal does not ident identify any error in process analysis or required findings. We respectfully ask the council to deny the appeal and uphold the commission's approvals.
Sheridan Condos offers exactly what the Minneapolis 2040 envisioned here, a variety of all housing types in all parts of the city, including the affluent neighborhoods who have the resources and the audacity to say, 'Not in my backyard.'
Ordinances & Resolutions (29)
Approval of six new liquor licenses.
Approval of eight liquor license renewals.
Approval of one gambling license.
Approval of an extension for a building permit.
Authorization of agreements for a facade grant program.
Acceptance of a federal grant for transit infrastructure.
Authorization of agreements for an emergency solutions grant program.
Authorization of two loans.
Reauthorization of funding and contract for a school support program.
Approval of a street vacation.
Authorization of a loan settlement.
Authorization of a grant agreement for rehabilitation.
Appointment of a member to a housing advisory committee.
Authorization of a temporary construction easement.
Approval of an ordinance modifying building height requirements.
Receiving and filing of a report.
Authorization of a gap loan.
Receiving and filing of a report, with future discussion planned.
Approval of a new liquor and entertainment license.
Approval for an upgrade to a general entertainment license.
Approval for a temporary emergency shelter.
Approval of amendments to TIF plan budgets for affordable housing pooling.
Approval of three reappointments to the Planning Commission.
Approval to adopt and levy a special assessment for energy efficiency financing.
Authorization of an amendment to the joint powers agreement.
Approval to add two properties to the sideyard sales program.
Approval of amendments to improve demolition permitting, noticing, and environmental review.
Proposed ordinance to provide tenants with a right of first refusal to purchase their rental properties.
Appeal regarding a four-story residential building's height and site plan.