2021 North Loop Neighborhood Association Highlights
Neighborhood Highlight
- Acquired property for a new park on 3rd Street and 8th Avenue N through application of $2 million in North Loop Park Dedication Fees – removed pavement, remediated soil, installed irrigation and sodded (future park improvements to be determined by North Loop residents and businesses)
Community Engagement
- Held numerous neighborhood events throughout the year that promoted engagement and community spirit:
- Annual Meeting via Zoom (est. 200+ attendees)
- Annual Candy Grab (est. 500+ attendees)
- Annual Food Truck Fair (est. 7,000 – 10,000 attendees)
- National Night Out at Target Field Station (est. 300+ attendees)
- Trick or Treat with North Loop Style (est. 200+ attendees)
- Held monthly Service Saturday volunteer events (trash pick-up, river clean-up, blood drive, flu shots, Covid boosters, voter information, donation drives, organic composting info, etc.) – est. 20-30+ participants monthly
Streets & Pedestrian Safety
- Engaged with Hennepin County Commissioner, Irene Fernando, and her staff to address pedestrian safety on Washington Avenue – an ongoing process
- P+Z Committee encouraged developers to work with the city to locate stop signs at 1st St and 8th Ave N (near Star Tribune) – now in place
- Continued efforts working with the city to improve pedestrian safety
Neighborhood Safety
- Addressing homeless encampment situation with Mayor Frey, City Councilmembers, City and County departments, MPD and dedicated neighbors
- Engaging with MPD to address increase in neighborhood crime
Communications
- Used our social media channels during challenging times to promote hundreds of positive North Loop images and content
- Started monthly email newsletter – 428 new subscribers in 2021 as of October 25 (2,063 total email subscribers), and established an online newsletter archive for easy reference
- Monthly website traffic continues to increase with 12,000-19,000 visits in 2021 (northloop.org)
- Grew our Instagram account to 21,300 followers
- 4,940 Facebook page likes (5,746 people follow our page)
- Continued to enhance the website to add additional relevant content – expanded “Resources” to include Environment and Developer sections and consolidated site Safety information under this section. Also added a Newsletter Archives to retain all past newsletters, and a Volunteer
Registration page
- Added a new section to the website to support the new Parks+Placemaking Committee
Planning & Zoning
- Heard 11 development presentations; sent letters of support to 11 projects, 2 of which had conditions
- Posted and updated all projects coming before P+Z, including actions taken by the committee
- Voted to support the developer interested in providing permanent funding to light the Washington Avenue Bridge – NLNA to pursue the opportunity
- Determined need to have more info on P+Z’s approval process and to encourage developers to engage with the committee. Created a button on the “Resources” page on org to make information easier to find
- Continued to participate in Root District activities – process continuing with 3 subcommittees to help design the undeveloped western portion of the North Loop
- Encouraged developers to work with the city to locate stop signs at 1st Street N and 8th Ave North (near Star Tribune) and they are now in place
Historic Preservation & Public Art
- Added three more plaques to historic buildings in the North Loop, bringing the total to 17
- Assisted our Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association neighbors with resources and information to begin their own history plaque project.
Business Community Engagement
- Established a security email blast with most North Loop business owners
Environment, Parks & Beautification
- Established a new Parks+Placemaking Committee, with nine initiating members – receiving public input for the future of North Loop parks, establishing a committee charter and determining priorities
Trees
- Planted over 60 new trees in the North Loop this spring in partnership with Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Forestry
- Continued our neighborhood tree watering program for new & second year trees
- Mulched all trees on 3rd & 4th streets with MPRB Forestry donating the mulch
- Inventoried all dead or diseased trees and open spots for spring 2022 planting
James I. Rice Park
- Applied for and received a grant from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization to hire the Friends of the Mississippi to study and advise Park Board and NLNA on removing and rehabbing James Rice Park
- Volunteers cleared underbrush and branches at James Rice Park to open up views of the Mississippi River
- In partnership with MPRB volunteers contributed over 1,000 hours to replant and mulch all garden beds surrounding the playground with native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers – over 150 trees and 200 indigenous plants (12-40+ volunteers on an ongoing basis)
- Formed a volunteer group to water and weed garden beds spring through fall
- Volunteers continue work to remove invasive plants, and non-native weed trees
Welcome Park
- Continue to maintain the park at I-394 and Washington Avenue (2018 NLNA clean-up and landscaping initiative)
Dog Park
- Successfully raised funds (matched by NLNA) to replace the stones in the dog park which were uncomfortable for dogs – remaining funds to be used for benches and other amenities
Environment
- Implemented community organics recycling with two drop-off sites in partnership with Colonial Warehouse & Duffey Developments – added second recycling bins at both locations due to high demand – Held three community education events
- Continued monthly neighborhood trash pick-up and clean-up events
- Purchased and installed 17 new trash receptacles for the neighborhood – with a focus on Washington Avenue and busy side streets
North Loop Green
- Established partnership with the new developers of North Loop Green as they plan for the park area that will be created in conjunction with the new 36-story development adjacent to Target Field that just broke ground.
Civic Engagement
- Registered voters and provided voter registration information at North Loop community events
- Supported the opening of Avivo Village in the North Loop and forged a meaningful connection between Avivo and North Loop residents
- Wrote and entered into a Good Neighbor Agreement to help set expectations and establish clear lines of communication
- Hosted three online forums to educate North Loop neighbors, residents, and business owners about the Avivo Village project
- Sponsored a donation drive for Avivo Village upon its full opening and filled 15 cars and a U-Haul, in partnership with Modist Brewing
- Hosted a tagging/graffiti clean-up event in partnership with Avivo Village staff and residents as part of a Service Saturday activity
- Increased number of Little Free Libraries in the North Loop from four to six
- Launched partnership with Friends of the Minneapolis Library to help stock new libraries and hosted a LFL book drive
- Hosted a flu shot clinic in partnership with Hennepin Health Partners and vaccinated 76 residents
- Hosted a Covid booster shot clinic, partnering with Cub pharmacist Bob, and vaccinated 217 residents
- Hosted and live-streamed series of voter education forums in partnership with the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) in advance of the municipal elections (Ward 3 City Council candidate forum, Strong Mayor / Question 1 forum, Public Safety / Question 2 forum)