Lake Street Council Annual Report

Last year, we asked community members to write love letters to Lake Street on small postcards – what would they say to Lake Street during this period of recovery and reconstruction? We received almost 100 cards, these are just three.

Heading down Lake Street, it’s hard not to miss the new murals and public art - it feels like everywhere you turn has more color, life, and vibrancy! Behind those pops of color are dozens of new businesses that have opened this year alone, bringing back much-needed community services and growth to South Minneapolis I want to take a moment to reflect on all we’ve accomplished together.

  • We supported over 300 entrepreneurs with direct business support - helping grow the small business community that makes Lake Street unique.

  • Supported small businesses in advocating for millions of dollars in City, County, and State funding to accelerate rebuilding and restore Lake Street.

  • Worked with partners to move forward a sizeable legislative allocation for direct small business support through the Minnesota Legislature;

  • Helped local entrepreneurs buy their first commercial property and provided predevelopment support to help them renovate or build.

  • We have funded 40 public art projects and community events, bringing thousands of residents and visitors to local businesses.

  • We launched our new art drop series, which supports local artists and small businesses and culminates in our Art Drop & Shop celebration, which brought hundreds of neighbors to Lake Street.

We can keep moving Lake Street forward, building a better, more equitable South Minneapolis for everyone. Lake Street is moving beyond recovery and beginning to thrive. But we know our work isn’t done and must commit to moving recovery forward.

Sincerely,

Allison Sharkey
Executive Director
Lake Street Council

New Strategic Plan

Lake Street’s future is bright. We are excited to continue supporting and advocating for this valuable community. That’s why we developed a new strategic vision last year to help guide us during the next four years. 

We have set the following four goals as the most important: 

  • Encouraging new public and private investment on Lake Street.

  • Promoting safety and livability along the corridor.

  • Foster a welcoming cultural corridor known as a destination location to support businesses.

  • Offer a goal-oriented business support program that provides unique value.

We developed these goals by soliciting input from more than 250 Lake Street leaders representing local businesses, nonprofits, partner organizations, and local government. They gave us incredible ideas to shape our work in the coming years. 

These four goals complement and extend our core functions: celebrate, navigate, and advocate. The following sections provide more information about the work we do every day.

During this strategic planning process, we also updated our vision and mission. These changes were vital to showcasing our renewed belief in Lake Street and its future. 

Vision

We envision Lake Street as a vibrant, inclusive corridor with a mosaic of flourishing businesses and nonprofits, a diversity of cultures, and a spirit of innovation – a place where businesses, visitors, and residents feel a deep sense of belonging, ownership, and pride.

Mission

Our mission is to foster economic vitality and amplify Lake Street’s vibrancy to create a thriving and livable commercial corridor.

Celebrate

Navigate

Advocate

In case you missed it, last year, we contributed to the vibrancy of Lake Street by:

  • Provided funding for 20 murals, four sculptures and standalone installations, and two vinyl art installations.

  • Sponsored over 20 events and activity series with an estimated attendance of 12,000+.

  • Launching our Art Drop series with a block party that drew 600 individuals to the corridor.

Celebrate

Through community activation events and millions of impressions online in the past year, we have uplifted individual businesses, highlighted our successes, and supported our partners. By renewing and strengthening our connection to Lake Street as a place and a community we love - we attract customers and bring revenue to businesses and nonprofits along the corridor.

Last year, we renewed our Lake Street Loyal campaign. Over 450 individuals proved their loyalty to Lake Street by spending at least $15 at 123 unique Lake Street businesses and generating much-needed income for the corridor.

Recognizing the power of diversity and acceptance - we launched our “You Belong Here” campaign with a two-month-long Metro Transit bus campaign that reminded viewers, “Whoever you are, there’s a place on Lake Street where you belong.”

In the past year, pops of color from new murals, public art, and improved storefronts have filled the street with a fresh vibrancy and energy, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultures and communities that call Lake Street home. Our Lake Street Reimagined program continues to bring people out to discover and support Lake Street while creating opportunities for local artists and culture bearers. This program strengthens the vitality of our commercial corridor and fosters community connections.

In case you missed it, last year, we helped secure these positive stories of Lake Street in local media outlets:

  • “Shop local at Lake Street-area businesses, get rewarded.” KARE 11,  November 29, 2023. 

  • “3 years after civil unrest, Lake Street's full recovery may take more than just money.”  CBS Minnesota, May 26, 2023

  • “Disadvantaged business corridors in MN get solar boost.” Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, January 30, 2023

Navigate

Last year was full of growth and fresh energy for Lake Street. Every new business opening, rebuilt building, and mural that went up is a testament to our communiaty's vibrancy and resiliency. 

In 2023, our focus has moved from immediate recovery to sustaining and growing community wealth and providing vital support to small businesses and entrepreneurs still struggling to succeed under challenging circumstances. We launched a workshop series in partnership with corridor financial institutions. Held in Somali and Spanish, this workshop series focused on maintaining financial documentation, building credit, and planning for business expansion. 

Supporting business transition to clean energy will be a top priority in the coming years. In the past two years, working with partners from across the Twin Cities, the Lake Street Council has worked to understand better and explore commercial businesses' adoption of solar energy. This research identified a clear need for small business owners to have access to trusted, impartial advisors who could help them navigate the opportunity to install rooftop solar. In the upcoming years, we will work to increase Lake Street businesses' adaptation of energy efficiency practices.

Construction of Lake Street’s B-Line Bus Rapid Transit began last year along East Lake Street. We supported businesses by advocating for their needs at weekly agency meetings and provided updates to hundreds of businesses through direct outreach and email newsletters. We focused our marketing attention on impacted businesses and reached 15,000 individuals on social media. As construction along the corridor continues, we plan to increase our marketing efforts to help customers know Lake Street is open. 

Our business engagement team provides frontline support for businesses along the Lake Street corridor. Speaking English, Spanish, and Somali, they have worked directly to provide technical assistance to over 300 small businesses and essential information on everything from road construction to funding opportunities and safety concerns.

Case Study: Hi-Gate Urgent Care for Children

Nothing better exemplifies the spirit of progress taking root on Lake Street than the recent grand opening of Hi-Gate Urgent Care for Children in the new Everlake building in the Longfellow neighborhood. More than just a business, Hi-Gate Urgent Care is a community-focused anchor in a new building and a sign of Lake Street's rebirth. 

Thanks to a combination of support - from community members, local philanthropy, and the Lake Street Council, Hi-Gate Urgent Care has found a home on Lake Street. 

To help them open their business and serve this community. The Lake Street Council

  • Provided direct financial support to get the business off the ground;

  • Connected the entrepreneurs with community resources to build out their vision,

  • Provided training and resources to design their website, along with marketing support.

The business engagement and marketing teams at the Lake Street Council work daily with entrepreneurs like those at Hi-Gate who believe in a thriving, vibrant Lake Street and South Minneapolis.

“The mural turned out great, and we could not be happier. It is an excellent addition to the East Lake area and enhances our neighbors' enjoyment of the space. We also hope it will discourage the chronic graffiti our business has experienced.” 

Dr. Travis Anderson, East Lake Animal Clinic

Advocate

Last summer, recognizing the tremendous need for improved safety along the corridor, the Lake Street Council also worked with City of Minneapolis Council Members to secure funding in the City budget for the following safety initiatives:

  • A Lake Street Community Safety Center

  • Funding for Lake Street collaborative public safety coordination across several public and private organizations, including public transit.

  • Develop and implement pilot programming for the Safety Ambassador program. 

In addition, we advocated for additional funds for the City of Minneapolis’s Developers Technical Assistance Program (DTAP) program, which was allocated $350,000 in ongoing funding. This highly regarded program supports BIPOC  and local entrepreneurs in building assets through real estate ownership and development training.

As we continue to develop deeper relationships with elected officials, government agencies, and municipal staff, our advocacy achievements have increased, bringing additional visibility and funding to the Lake Street corridor. During the 2023 legislative session, the Lake Street Council and partners across Minneapolis and St. Paul helped secure a historic $26 million in state investments for BIPOC businesses across the metro for small business working capital grants and $9 million in low-interest loans. 

“We are immensely appreciative of the Lake Street Council’s exceptional leadership. The advocacy and investment the team brings to the entrepreneurs along the Lake Street Corridor continues to be such a bright light and a wonderful example for us all to aspire to.” 

David Wellington, Wellington Management

Recovery

The Lake Street corridor continues to recover after the civil unrest of 2020, as it will for many years to come. When we began this work, we knew keeping redevelopment projects in local hands was essential to the corridor's continued success. Over the last four years, we have supported that vision with grants and forgivable loans totaling $2.1 million to 36 local entrepreneurs and their nonprofit partners to help them purchase and develop properties and take the necessary steps to rebuild.

We also continue to work with partner organizations like the Minneapolis Foundation to steer $9 million toward Lake Street through the Minnesota Main Street Economic Revitalization Program. These funds went to projects like MIGIZI to support the final stages of a $5.5 million renovation campaign to reestablish MIGIZI’s in the Lake Street corridor and Midtown Global Market for the renovation of their existing property on Lake Street.

Case Study: MIGIZI

MIGIZI is a nearly 50-year-old non-profit youth organization that nurtures the educational, social, economic, and cultural development of American Indian youth. In 2019, MIGIZI built a new space for its organization at 3017 27th Ave S. The multi-million dollar project was a success. MIGIZI operated in its new home for almost half a year until the organization lost everything. During the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd, a fire destroyed the entire block, including MIGIZI’s 8-month-old building.

With a predevelopment grant from the Lake Street Council and donor support nationwide, in 2023, MIGIZI proudly opened its doors to its new building at 1845 E Lake Street—just blocks away from its former location, in a neighborhood it feels inseparable from. The building is one of the area's most green and sustainable buildings, with geothermal heating and solar panels. It is a powerful statement of what our community values and shows the power our community has when it comes together to heal and rebuild.

“Lake Street feels like home. My father would always say, when walking down Lake Street, know that the dust you are kicking up is the dust of our ancestors, the Dakota & Ojibwe people originally from this area. I hope Lake Street and its businesses continue to reflect the diverse communities in Minneapolis.” 

Binesikwe Means, MIGIZI Lead Media Instructor

Our Funders

Thank you to the following funders for supporting our work last year.

Ameriprise Financial
Carolyn Foundation
CenterPoint Energy Foundation
City of Minneapolis
Graves Foundation
Hennepin County
Huntington Bank
Marbrook Foundation
McKnight Foundation
Minneapolis Foundation
Minnesota DEED
Minnesota State Arts Board
Old National Bank Foundation
Opus Foundation
Otto Bremer Trust
Target Foundation
Twin Cities LISC
US Bank Foundation
Wells Fargo 
Wells Fargo Foundation

Artist Gustavo Lira stands in front of the mural, “Mosaic of the Americas” during its restoration.

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