Overview

George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer at 38th and Chicago on May 25, 2020.

Former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in Floyd’s death on April 20, 2021.

Floyd's murder led to:

• Protests throughout our city, across the country and world calling for fundamental changes in policing and racist systems.
• 38th and Chicago becoming a living memorial:
  • Visitors have left flowers and artwork to honor George Floyd.
  • Artists installed major works of public art in the surrounding neighborhood.
• 38th and Chicago becoming a sacred space for racial:
  • Reckoning
  • Healing
  • Justice

Our goal

The City of Minneapolis will:

• Invest in racial justice and healing.
• Support efforts led by the Floyd family to create a permanent memorial for George Floyd.
• Preserve the legacy and heritage of a deeply rooted African American community. 

Since May 2020, we have taken a number of actions to help us achieve these goals. We still have more to do.

2022 steps taken

38th & Chicago re-envisioned

2021 steps taken

Reconnection 

Reconnection guiding principles

• Community safety
• Racial healing 
• Economic stability and development for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other communities of color

2021 survey results

In February 2021, we sent a survey to people who live and work near the intersection to help us decide which option to use. 

Eighty-one percent of respondents supported the City’s proposed interim design options to reopen the intersection.

The Floyd Family Foundation is also leading planning efforts for a permanent memorial for Floyd and has pledged $500,000 to the community at 38th and Chicago.

View the interim design survey summary

View the interim design options

Read the first survey feedback summary

Preserving a living memorial

During the summer of 2020, 38th and Chicago became a living memorial. 

• Visitors left flowers and artwork to honor George Floyd. 
• Artists installed major works of public art in the surrounding neighborhood.

Community volunteers are protecting the memorial and demanding change.

Public art installations

Say Their Names Cemetery

Mourning Passage

Arts conservation project

Community members are taking steps to preserve the story of George Floyd's life and death. Trained conservators from the Midwest Arts Conservation Center are guiding their efforts. Everything from is being preserved, including:

• Handwritten signs
• Works of public art
• Burned scraps of paper

They are also maintaining plantings at the site of the memorial.

Learn about the Midwest Arts Conservation Center

Read and listen to the Minnesota Public Radio story: Preserving George Floyd's memorial

Community conversations

Conversations with community members reveal these top concerns for 38th and Chicago.

People want 

• Racial justice for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other communities of color
• Equitable community development for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other communities of color
• A long-term plan for preserving:
  • The living street memorial
  • Community space for mourning — especially the space between the Chicago Ave. roundabout and 37th Street
• Community artists and arts organizations to participate in the conservation and design of the public space
• Expanded access to transit, including the 5 and 23 buses
• Less traffic on nearby streets
• Clarity on next steps for both the short term and long term

People have

• Strong concerns about public safety
• A range of ideas on re-opening the street from no changes to full reopening
• Divergent opinions on how the various plans will affect public safety
• Questions about what winter means for the space, access, and the memorial

Important actions

Since George Floyd's death, we have taken many significant actions. Read about them.

• Read the truth and reconciliation process adopted by the City Council.
• Read about our City Council declaring racism to be a public health emergency.
• Read about our plan for community safety.

38th and Chicago is in Ward 8. Many of its priorities and projects affect 38th and Chicago.

• Read about Ward 8's projects and priorities.

Important documents

• City's responses to the Justice Resolution demands
• September 17, 2020 response letter from City leaders
• November 9, 2020 response letter from City leaders
• Truth and reconciliation process outline
• 38th Street THRIVE Strategic Development Plan

Financial investment

The City and community partners are making significant financial investments to support healing at 38th and Chicago.

Highlights include:

• $1.5 million in forgivable loans for businesses located within George Floyd Square. 
• $182,000 to the One Minneapolis Fund through the Department of Neighborhood and Community Relations for “Undoing Racism” training and future resources.
• $150,000 for the Creative City Making program to hire a diverse team of artists and healers to lead community engagement processes.

We also:

• Redirected funds from the Sustainability Office to Sabathani Community Center for green jobs training.
• Increased funding in the 2021 City budget for a new Rebuild Resilient program. This program provides $1 million for energy improvements for properties harmed by the civil unrest.
• Accelerated funding to reconstruct the 38th and Chicago traffic intersection. This includes working with the Metro D-Line rapid transit project.
• Awarded $870,000 in funding to four organizations serving renters in the 38th and Chicago area: Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association, Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research, Lutheran Social Services and We Win Institute Inc. 

Read about the Metro D-Line bus-rapid transit project