Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles about seeking and elevating community engagement in Minneapolis’ reconstruction of two south-side thoroughfares. Note that the first opportunity for input is at an open house on Wednesday, April 30.
As the City of Minneapolis plans for a full reconstruction of 35th and 36th streets from Blaisdell Avenue to Chicago Avenue, it’s no overstatement: This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine a key corridor running through the south side.
Spanning more than a mile-and-a-half from end to end, the streets connect the Central, Lyndale and Kingfield neighborhoods. But it’s a tenuous connection given that Interstate 35-W cuts through the heart of the area — along with several on- and off-ramps linked to often high-speed feeder streets like Stevens Avenue and Second Avenue.
Minneapolis is slated to break ground in 2027 and finish the project in 2028, with a sequence of community engagement and design proposals leading up to that.
As a “full-street reconstruction” is afoot, the city seeks to dig up and retrofit the entire street and utilities beneath, from property line to property line, sidewalk to sidewalk. As the project one-pager sums up, the pair of heavily-used streets were built more than 60 years ago and, in the city’s own unvarnished phrasing, are “old and in bad condition.” The project’s stated goals include creating “safer, calmer and more resilient streets,” welcoming people who walk, bike, roll or take nearby transit, and supporting stormwater treatment, trees and other green space.
Walking the Streets
Over the past eight months, I’ve been part of a group of neighbors and residents walking this very stretch of 35th and 36th streets.
In a series of “walk audits” since October 2024, about two dozen folks — mostly residents and workers, sometimes joined by city planners and contractors — have taken to the sidewalks of 35th and 36th. We’ve asked ourselves:
- What feels comfortable as a pedestrian or cyclist on the street?
- What feels uncomfortable or dangerous?
- And perhaps most important: What changes would we like to see in a reconstructed roadway to make walking, rolling, biking (and driving) safer?
We’ve walked around the commercial nodes at Nicollet. We’ve traversed the space near Hosmer Library and along Green Central Elementary School. We’ve ambled single-file along narrow sidewalks and crossed the highway on crumbling strips of concrete edged by chain-link fencing. We’ve taken notes, looked and listened, stopped and talked — often over the revving engines of significant vehicular traffic.
This is the first in a series of articles that will surface some of our findings, questions and visions for the future that have emerged in conversation during these walks (more on the planned sequence of articles below!). In the meantime, the city’s project planning has taken an important turn — and great opportunities abound to get involved, whether you live in the neighborhood or simply move through it from time to time.
It’s Time to Get Involved!
By elevating the voices and experiences of those who know these streets the best, we can advocate for a thoroughfare that is more human-centered, safe and joyful. Such a vision could include the following, and much more:
- A safe, comfortable, attractive pedestrian realm.
- An “All Ages and Abilities” (AAA) Bike Facility on 35th and/or 36th streets.
- A clear transition from highway ramps (and a highway-driving “mindset”) to neighborhood streets.
- Rethinking the dangerous multi-lane one-way designs.
- Creative placemaking elements, amenities, and street trees.
The good news is, there are great ways to advocate to turn these visions into reality.
Learn more about the project: Looking for more background? Read up on the city’s 35th and 36th Street project page. Check out the engagement summary from Minneapolis Public Works’ first phase of community outreach. Peruse an interactive map of the full construction zone.
Review the city’s initial design concepts: Want to see the city’s initial alternatives? Public Works has drafted several high-level design concepts covering different segments of the corridor.
Take the survey: Seeking to weigh in on design alternatives? The city is gathering community input through its 35th Street and 36th Street Reconstruction Project – Phase II Survey. (The initial design alternatives are screenshot in the survey.)
Attend an open house: Want to learn more and talk with planners in person? On Wednesday, April 30, the city’s project team will host an open house at the Central Gym & Recreation Center from 6 to 8 p.m., at 3400 Fourth Ave. S. in Minneapolis.
Both the survey and open house are excellent opportunities to learn more about the project, and to share your perspective on what a safer, more livable and more human-centered corridor might look like.
Stories of the Corridor: 35th and 36th Streets
As the city’s planning and engagement efforts unfold, various neighbors, residents and advocates will be writing a sequence of pieces in Streets.mn. We’ll touch on the current state of the streets, elevate voices from the community, share the streets’ background and history, and sketch visions for the future.
Throughout the reconstruction planning — and this series — know that we welcome your voices. Reach out to me via email ([emailprotected]) to learn more, connect with advocates and share your own story of 35th and 36th streets.
