Agape denied as George Floyd Square developer in 10-2 council vote

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The future of The People’s Way project at George Floyd Square is once again uncertain after the City Council voted down its recommended development partner.

Frustration grows as George Floyd Square redevelopment stalls

What we know:

The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to deny the nomination of Agape as partner developers for The People’s Way project at 38th and Chicago. The project, which includes redeveloping the old gas station property, has already faced years of delays.

The council’s decision came after a city survey of 800 people showed more support for the group Rise and Remember over Agape. The vote was 10-2 against Agape, with one abstention.

Many in the community expressed frustration with how long the process has taken.

"If this was about ICE or immigration it would be the speed of lightning, but six years later they can’t agree on what to do with the damn site," said Latonya Reeves of Minneapolis.

City leaders say the process must start over

What's next:

City staff, council members and the mayor now need to decide how to move forward, but it is not clear what the next steps will look like or if it will take another two years to choose a new partner.

"There’s community interest to be more in more of the decision-making world, those processes take longer, so we’re going to be talking to the mayor and council members about what direction we want to take," said Eric Nelson with the Community Planning and Economic Development Department.

Ward 8 Councilmember Soren Stevenson said, "This doesn’t start this same process over again. That process has ended and we are now free to do whatever we want."

Councilmembers and the mayor have begun taxpayer-funded therapy to help work together more effectively.

"Councilmember Chavez and I have reached out to the mayor to sit down and talk about a way that we can move forward," said Stevenson.

"This is the one project we can all work together in love and collaboration," said Ward 4 Councilmember Latrisha Vetaw.

Moving George Floyd Square project forward

Dig deeper:

As of Thursday, Agape is no longer being considered, and no new group has been selected to take on the redevelopment. City leaders say they are committed to collaboration and unity as they try to move the project forward.

The other side:

Some city officials voiced strong criticism of how the process has been handled.

"The city absolutely fumbled this process from start to finish. I have spent my entire time with city council overseeing the Frey administration’s procurement processes, I have never seen a contract mishandled in the unique way that this one was," said Councilmember Robin Wonsley.

Big picture view:

The People’s Way project has become a symbol of both hope and frustration for the community. While road construction at George Floyd Square is underway, the redevelopment of the surrounding area remains stalled, leaving residents and leaders searching for a path forward.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear how long it will take to select a new partner developer for The People’s Way project or what the next steps in the process will look like.

The Source: FOX 9’s Karen Scullin reported this story.