2024
Lake Street Council Annual Report
Executive Summary
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
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We would like to take time today to thank Lake Street Council for their help in sponsoring our 30 Year Anniversary show series. We are grateful and honored that we were awarded with this grant and appreciate all the support the Council does to promote the health of the Lake Street communities.
Extreme Noise Records, 407 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
in 2024 - we celebrated
Believing in Arts & Culture & Activation:
Hosted the first-ever Lake Street Mural Day with free tours, entertainment and online resources. Two proclamations from the City of Minneapolis and State of Minnesota highlight the importance of bringing vibrancy to the Lake Street corridor year after year.
Funded 12 community events that brought residents and visitors to local businesses.
Successfully launched the second year of the Lake Street Art Drop scavenger hunt series. This series included monthly events from April to October, highlighting 9 local artists, and bringing hundreds of visitors to the corridor.
Helped mitigate graffiti while beautifying the area by supporting over 25 murals along the corridor.
Committing to Marketing Initiatives:
The second year of our Lake Street Loyalty Challenge brought nearly 400 participants from 60 different zip codes to local businesses during the holiday season.
Our constant efforts on social media made over 83.1k impressions on Facebook and 71.1k impressions on Instagram and continue to draw in nearly 30k engaged followers from across the metro.
Our “Lake Street is Open” campaign supported businesses experiencing reduced foot traffic during road construction and included a digital billboard along 35W and illustrations from local artists..
We began the creative development process for our upcoming Lake Street Lift marketing campaign, highlighting Lake Street cultural diversity.
I spent time on Saturday on Lake Street and once again was struck by what an amazing and lively and dynamic street it is – congratulations to all that Lake Street Council has done to make it that way!
Mihailo (Mike) Temali, Founder & Senior Advisor, Neighborhood Development Center
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in 2024 - we navigated
Investing in Business Support & Redevelopment:
Worked one-on-one with small businesses in English, Somali, and Spanish to build trust and provide tailored support
Provided direct support to over 165 entrepreneurs in the areas of business development and marketing.
Invented $380k in pre development and acquisition grants to 11 projects - helping the recovery of Lake Street continue.
Celebrated new development projects and grand openings, including the reopening of the historic Coliseum building in Longfellow, the first phase of COPAL’s Latino Center for Community Engagement. and the grand opening of Colonial Market, a Latino grocery store.
Invested $250k in building improvements grants to 32 projects, leveraging nearly $300k in private investments across the corridor.
I truly believe the Lake Street Council is making a meaningful impact in our community. What I appreciate most is how close we are to the people-anyone can walk in and feel heard.
Claudia Carrasco, Community Banking Relationship Manager, Bremer Bank
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in 2024 - we advocated
Committing to Community Safety & Livability:
Added a Lake Street Community Safety Navigator position to help our businesses address security and livability challenges. Bringing together public and private entities together, we continue to enhance the overall safety of the corridor.
Successfully advocated for the opening of the Lake Street Safety Center in November 2024.
Supported monthly clean-up efforts at rotating locations throughout the corridor with the Lake Street Greenway Partnership with 100+ volunteers, as well as an Earth Day clean-up with Wells Fargo employees who helped remove graffiti and paint anti-graffiti coating on murals.
Working to Find Resources:
We continue to advocate for City, County, and State funds that will support the Lake Street businesses, recovery efforts, and overall corridor success. This included advocating for new safety initiatives, like the Cultural District Ambassadors Program, and well established programs like the Developers Technical Assistance Program
I can't express enough words to show my gratitude for all the support we receive from you and [the Lake Street Council] towards our Viva Apartments project.
Wilmar Delgado, Viva Apartments, development project at 2709 E Lake Street
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in 2025 - we are working on
Lake Street Lift
In late 2024, the Lake Street Council began work on the Lake Street Lift program - a $8 million appropriation from the State of Minnesota to support the economic health and vitality of the Lake Street Corridor. This funding will be used to create a more vibrant, safe, and growing Lake Street, celebrating the diverse communities that call this place home.
Working with The Graves Foundation, the recipients of the funding, we began to lay the foundation for supporting this corridor through six major areas: business advising, marketing and branding assistance, real estate consulting, event and festival sponsorships, marketing the corridor, and vacant space and mural beautifications.
Looking Forward
As Lake Street faces new challenges and opportunities in the coming years, the Lake Street Council remains committed to serving all businesses, communities, and individuals who call Lake Street home. Our strategic priorities include:
Enhanced Business Support: Helping businesses adapt to changing economic conditions through digital marketing, online sales, financial management, and other personalized consulting.
Cultural Celebration & Corridor Marketing: Investing deeply in cultural events, art, and community connections that make Lake Street unique and bring visitors to the corridor.
Community Safety: Expanding our safety initiatives to ensure Lake Street is welcoming and accessible to all.
Advocacy: Continuing to advocate for resources and policies that support small businesses and community development.
Lake Street's best days are still ahead. With continued community support and engagement, we will build on our successes and ensure that Lake Street remains a vibrant, diverse, and thriving corridor for generations to come. Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to moving Lake Street forward.
Financial Support
The Lake Street Council's work is made possible through the generous support of individuals, businesses, partner organizations, government entities, and foundations. Your contributions directly fund:
Business development services
Public art initiatives
Marketing campaigns
Community events
Advocacy efforts
Thank you to the following funders for supporting our work last year.
Ameriprise Financial
Carolyn Foundation
CenterPoint Energy
City of Minneapolis
Graves Foundation
Hennepin County
Huntington Bank Foundation
Marbrook Foundation
McKnight Foundation
Metro Regional Arts Council (MRAC)
Minneapolis Foundation
State of 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