The Minneapolis downtown council is touting city’s accomplishments in 2023 and are optimistic about the future at an event held at the Armory Wednesday.
9.75 million attended sports gatherings, concerts, and arts events in the city last year along with 450+ new restaurants and retailers who opened in 2023.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says its just the beginning of what to come.
“We could have a fully pedestrian, world class (Nicollet) Mall,” says the mayor. “We can be this downtown destination and winter wonderland for months of the year when it’s cold. The warehouse district was built for fun. You’ve got tons of bars, all sorts of theater and sports and entertainment built in. We could take it to the next level.”
The “2023 Year in Review” report showed 7,100 new residents moved to downtown, and the city saw a 16 percent increase in people riding Metro Transit buses and trains.
Govenor Tim Walz says a thriving Minneapolis makes for a thriving Minnesota.
“So goes Moorhead, if downtown Minneapolis goes in the right direction,” said Walz. “We are intimately connected together as a state. And because of the folks who came before us and many of the folks sitting in this room, we’ve built one of the most diverse economies. We have the fifth most diverse economy of all the states in the country.”