Competing visions vie for space
One of the nation’s largest Black-owned architectural firms unveiled early plans to transform the former Minneapolis Third Police Precinct building into a Minneapolis Democracy Center on August 25, alongside proposals from two local groups competing to operate a new community space within the building.
Long before George Floyd’s murder in 2020, the Third Precinct building at 2600 Minnehaha Avenue stood as a symbol of racism and police oppression. Derek Chauvin, the former officer convicted of killing Floyd, worked there. Hours after Floyd’s death, protesters stormed the site, ultimately setting the building ablaze.
In April this year, the city awarded LSE Architects, Inc. an $800,000 contract to design the new center, which is envisioned as both a polling place and a civic hub. Meanwhile, Change Inc., a nonprofit serving underserved youth and families, and Mama Sheila’s House of Soul, a beloved Southside restaurant, are vying for the community space inside.
“This is like no other project we’ve done,” said Mohammed Lawal, CEO and principal architect at LSE. “We understand the magnitude and weight of what happened here, and we’re working closely with the city to honor that.”…