What a year!

The Lake Street Council worked harder than ever to support and revitalize the Lake Street corridor in South Minneapolis throughout 2024 and into early 2025. We faced our fair share of curveballs—road construction that seemed to go on forever, economic and political headwinds that made everyone a little nervous, not to mention all the day-to-day challenges we are all familiar with. 

Lake Street isn't just a place of challenges, though — it's a resilient community of fighters, visionaries, and leaders. 

Lake Street is where the city’s soul stretches wide, where global flavors meet Midwestern familiarity, art and activism share the same walls, and every block tells a story of resilience and reinvention. If you’re looking for a place where the optimism of the American dream is alive and well, look no further than Lake.

This isn’t just talk. 

In the past year, the Lake Street Council has helped hundreds of businesses grow and thrive by providing direct support in Somali, Spanish, and English, helping find the answers and resources they need to keep their business moving forward.

To bring visitors and customers to our businesses, we launched a million-dollar marketing campaign. We transformed our streets with vibrant art and cultural celebrations that showcase why Lake Street means the world. 

And we’re working to make Lake Street welcoming for all. By bringing together government, small businesses, and residents, we are investing in safety resources and clean up efforts across the corridor. 

We continue to 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. 

This report is our chance to show you exactly what we've accomplished together, what we're working on right now, and where we're headed next.

Allison Sharkey
Executive Director, Lake Street Council