Quincy Reconstruction Meeting Recap

November 21, 2024

What a crowd! Thanks to everyone that came out to save the bricks for Quincy last night. We learned a lot. We talked a lot. We got to connect with city planners and elected officials and residents and businesses. The passion in that room last night is the best thing about Northeast.

Thank you for showing up. Thank you for speaking up. Thank you for caring.

And thanks to everyone that helped get the word out!

I think the group that showed up last night felt that what Quincy has works. More than that, it is unique. It makes Quincy and the Arts District stand out. And that fosters artists and draws customers.

It feels like we’re being asked to give that up in exchange for not much.

Yes, the street needs better drainage. Definitely Quincy needs accessibility.

Apart from that, the city’s plans threaten to strip the industrial character and standardize access for cars and pedestrians so that the Quincy experience will be just another street.

What we’re asking for is not ridiculous. We already plow and maintain bricks in other parts of the city. We already have Woonerf-style shared streets with no curbs that gives pedestrians access to the whole street in other parts of the city.

Example of a "woonerf" shared street. Slow traffic and no curbs allows pedestrians to activate the whole street.
(behind the Pillsbury A-Mill)

So it rings a little hollow when we’re told that Northeast can’t have these things, especially when Quincy has these elements now and they’re adding so much to our community.

So there’s still a lot of work to be done. We know that what we’re asking for is doable: bricks, character, pedestrian access to the whole street.

Fill out the round 2 survey.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8095818/Logan-Park-Industrial-Street-Reconstruction-Community-Survey-2

Use the “Character Feedback” question to tell Minneapolis that Northeast’s bricks should stay in Northeast. Tell them that we love how Quincy keeps traffic slow and pedestrians have activated the WHOLE street. Tell the city we don’t want curbs to define where pedestrians can be. This is moving backwards and it threatens the Arts District.

Do also keep in mind that the people reading our comments live in our community. We don’t always agree, but they too want to get this right. We know these people. This is about working together to make the city better. Let’s work toward a common understanding.

Write to project lead Katie White (katie.white@minneapolismn.gov). cc City Council Member Elliot Payne (elliott.payne@minneapolismn.gov). And tell your friends! Let everyone know how great Quincy St NE is and how important it is to Northeast.

We found fertile ground at Quincy and we’ve produced something amazing here. And the standard city design will sterilize that ground and we’ll lose some of what makes it so special.

And once it’s gone, it’s never coming back.