Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak delivered his fourth annual State of the City Address tonight at Plaza Verde, the recently renovated Antiques Minnesota Building. Once a blighted eyesore, Plaza Verde is now home to seven Latino-oriented businesses, Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, and the Lake Street Business and Career Center.
"Plaza Verde and the growth along East Lake symbolize the success of Minneapolis' comprehensive approach to facilitating the transformation of Lake Street. We have been a leader and a partner, not just keeper of a checkbook," Mayor Rybak said. Rybak said working with neighborhoods, citizens, businesses and other governments on public safety, housing, jobs and transportation has been the key to successful redevelopment in South Minneapolis. The City is using that strategy to address challenges on the North Side. Rybak also talked about the importance of preserving Minneapolis as a great middle-class city by working to keep housing affordable, managing the city well and providing good basic services. Rybak pointed to South Side successes, in addition to Plaza Verde, such as: * The Community Law Enforcement Action Network, or CLEAN, a partnership of the neighborhood, city and county attorneys, probation and the 3rd Police Precinct that identified 46 chronic offenders and ensured significant time behind bars for nearly half of them. * The more than $600 million of private investment in Phillips, including the consolidation of Wells Fargo, the renovation of the Midtown Exchange and the expansion of Allina Heart Hospital, the Children's Hospital and the Phillips Eye Institute along the Life Sciences Corridor. * A historic agreement and a shared vision among local and state leaders from both parties to build Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on 35W, allowing future bus commuters to travel from Lakeville to Downtown Minneapolis at the peak of rush hour going 55 miles an hour all the way. * The accomplishments of Faith in the City, helping people save money and stay healthy. The City of Minneapolis is using the same type of partnership approach to community revitalization on the City's North Side, working comprehensively on public safety, housing jobs and transportation. Rybak said that while crime is significantly down from 1995, [when the City had 43,000 serious (part I) crimes and 97 murders as compared to 25,000 serious crimes and 54 murders in 2004] crime and safety are a priority, particularly on the North Side. "Twenty-nine homicides on the North Side last year is 29 too many" Mayor Rybak said. Rybak noted that the Police Department's new Strategic Tactical Operations (STOP) division will begin patrolling on Monday and that last week the City, County and neighborhood celebrated the opening of the new North Side Probation House at 26th and Irving in the Jordan neighborhood, a particularly important strategy when one considers that 70 percent of people accused of murder were on probation. General Mills has also helped retain Chuck Wexler from the Police Executive Research Forum, a nationally recognized expert in helping cities with community safety, who helped on the South Side in the 90s by identifying and implementing strategies addressing violence. Public safety throughout the City is the number-one priority. Rybak referenced the unprecedented work of Chief McManus partnering with the Hennepin County Sheriff, Transit Police, and Downtown Council to coordinate security concerns. Rybak also announced his support for a Downtown Safety Ambassadors program that would work together with Police Officers to provide a positive presence in Downtown Minneapolis. As one of the first downtowns in the country to regain our peak population from the '50s, Downtown Minneapolis is changing rapidly. Effective management has allowed the City to buy down $10 million of inherited debt and put an additional $1 million annually into public safety. The Empowerment Zone also recently committed $500,000 to public safety. Rybak noted that the City's new Problem Properties Task Force has turned around one-third of the 67 worst properties in the City, eliminating nearly 2,000 police calls. The Mayor reported significant progress on the City's jobs initiatives. The STEP-UP summer youth employment program has reached its goal of 300 summer jobs for kids. Mayor Rybak closed his speech with a reminder of the unique qualities of cities, as places where residents enjoy transit opportunities, rich cultural diversity and a balance of complementary natural and built environments. "To continue to build a great city, we need to capitalize on these uniquely urban qualities," Mayor Rybak said. Laura Sether Office of Mayor Rybak Ericsson Neighborhood REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
