Mayor Jacob Frey joined City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw and local community leaders to celebrate the official signing ceremony for the Community Performing Arts Center, marking a major milestone in the Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment on the Northside.
The 8,000-seat concert venue will be operated by the legendary Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue and the Minnesota Orchestra. The venue is expected to host around 50 ticketed events each year, with $3 in proceeds from each sale reinvested directly into the local community through a partnership with the African American Community Development Corporation (AACDC).
“Imagine a warm summer night in Minneapolis, sitting by the river, watching your favorite band play live at a state-of-the-art venue—that’s what we’re delivering to the Northside,” said Mayor Frey. “The Community Performing Arts Center is a generational investment. Not only does it bring jobs and tourism to the community, with our partners at First Avenue and the Minnesota Orchestra committed to reinvesting revenue back into North Minneapolis, it brings real change.”
A long-term investment
“The Upper Harbor Terminal is more than a development, it’s a long-term investment in North Minneapolis,” said Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw. “This project creates real jobs, builds community wealth, and opens doors for residents who have historically been left out of major economic opportunities. I am proud to help bring this vision to life and ensure that Northside families benefit from every phase of this project.”
The AACDC will manage and distribute funds generated from commercial ticketed sales at the Community Performing Arts Center, reinvesting revenue into social, cultural, and economic initiatives on the Northside. The Minnesota Orchestra has put together a fundraising coalition to raise private funds to support the building of the amphitheater. When the venue is complete, the Orchestra will play both a performance role—playing at the venue each season—and an operational one, working alongside First Avenue on the venue’s long-term oversight.
“This milestone is the result of countless hours of community planning, co-creation, and dedicated neighborhood input,” said Dayna Frank, President and CEO of First Avenue Productions. “We are honored to be a part of such an incredible project and look forward to building a world-class, inviting, boutique urban amphitheater on the Mississippi riverfront. Thank you to the State of Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis, our partners at the Minnesota Orchestra and AACDC, and the hundreds of Northside community members who contributed ideas to make this project truly special. We are thrilled to be moving forward and building a cherished community asset to be enjoyed for generations to come.”
“The Orchestra is proud to partner with First Avenue, another home-grown music organization, and the AACDC to expand the musical footprint of Minneapolis with this beautiful outdoor amphitheater,” said Minnesota Orchestra Board Chair Nancy Lindahl. “We are grateful to the Mayor and City of Minneapolis for their support and to the coalition of generous funders who rallied together to make this vision a reality. These private individuals were drawn to support the project because of a shared belief in the important role music, the Orchestra and the arts can play in strengthening our City, and we now look forward to seeing this come to life along the riverfront for audiences for decades to come.”
In addition to world-class musical acts, the amphitheater will also host year-round community programming in public spaces, with a strong focus on including Northside residents, businesses and organizations. Construction of the Community Performing Arts Center will create more than 500 jobs, and once completed, amphitheater operations will employ more than 250 people.
"We are thrilled to reach this milestone in our journey — excited to collaborate with the community and this incredible team to bring year-round programming, public art, career paths, and local vendor opportunities to life," said AACDC Board Chair Keith Baker. "Can’t wait to see years of community planning become a vibrant reality."
Upper Harbor Terminal Redevelopment
The Upper Harbor Terminal, a 48-acre riverfront site off Dowling Ave. N and I-94, is currently being redeveloped by the City in partnership with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board and a group of local developers with additional investments from the State of Minnesota and the federal government.
The $350 million investment—including $20 million from the City—reconnects North Minneapolis to the Mississippi River and will include affordable housing, a health and wellness hub, 20 acres of riverside parkland, hundreds of new living-wage jobs, and more. Infrastructure work was completed at the site last summer, with construction set to begin this fall. The amphitheater will begin hosting events for the 2027 concert season.