Construction Begins at George Floyd Square, and Black Business Owners and Residents Are Already Feeling the Squeeze
Contributing writer Izzy Canizares reports on the impact of construction at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Mystic Healing Stones owner Ini Augustine says her shop has been inaccessible since the first day of work, a free clothing resource faces removal, BLM sculptures were moved and residents raise concerns about increased law enforcement surveillance in a neighborhood still carrying deep police trauma.
Construction has officially begun at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, the site where George Floyd was murdered six years ago, and businesses and residents are already feeling the impact. The project, years in planning, started June 8 and is expected to last two years, with the first phase closing off 38th Street and Chicago Avenue through the end of 2027, according to the city.
The intersection has served as a memorial ground since Floyd’s death, with sculptures and murals honoring Floyd and other victims of police brutality. City officials say the reconstruction reflects community input gathered over several years.
“In 2022, we began a process to engage with the community,” Minneapolis Media Relations Coordinator Allen Henry said. “Through this process, we re-envisioned and redesigned the area in a way that reflects community needs.”
But for some business owners adjacent to the construction, the project has felt anything but supportive. Ini Augustine, owner of Mystic Healing Stones, said the first day of construction left her shop completely inaccessible.
“It just feels like the latest violation of my human rights because the city of Minneapolis has closed down my business,” Augustine said. “The first day of construction, they closed traffic in every single direction. No one could approach my business unless they were on foot and it took me 40 minutes to get into my own office. They kind of just made that executive decision that my business was inaccessible for that day.”
Her crystal shop, which typically sees at least 20 purchases a day, has barely had a customer since construction began. Making matters worse, the finished plans show a Metro D Line rapid bus shelter slated for the location where her business currently stands.
“If I make it to the end of the month I would be really surprised,” Augustine said. “It’s almost poetic because they expected George to hold his breath for nine minutes, which is humanly impossible, and they’re expecting my business to hold its breath for four months, which is financially impossible. They’re asking the impossible of Black businesses, of Black bodies, and of Black mental health at this point.”
The project includes plans to add designated bike lanes, new bus shelters, and a raised intersection designed to slow traffic and create a level surface for pedestrians and people using mobility devices. The city will also close the intersection of 38th Street and Elliot Avenue to complete that work.
For some residents, the construction has brought an unwelcome increase in law enforcement presence. Jerimiah Rupert, a longtime neighborhood resident, said the shift in atmosphere has been deeply unsettling.
“There has been a lot of increase in sheriff activity, specifically in this neighborhood. The surveillance is increasing,” Rupert said. “It’s deeply troubling because everyone’s got police trauma here. It’s like the government’s saying ‘we’re gonna respect you as you need to mourn,’ but then they’ll tell people, ‘hey, wrap it up, you’re done crying now,’ as if people didn’t know someone for 30 years.”
Among the community landmarks affected is the Peoples Closet, a free clothing resource housed in a bus station structure slated for removal. The city has said it will “continue to have conversations with the community about the future of the Peoples Closet,” but has offered no concrete replacement plan. For Rupert, the closet is more than a place to get clothes. It is a lifeline for some of the neighborhood’s most vulnerable residents.
“I’ve seen older ladies who’ve said ‘I stopped doing fentanyl because I just sat at the closet, prayed to Jesus and folded clothes,’” Rupert said. “When they start twitching and they feel like they need to get a hit or something, it gives them something to do. A lot of them rely on it for money. They’ll grab a bunch of clothes and go sell it.”
The Black Lives Matter fists on Chicago Avenue were also moved from their original location on the first day of construction, drawing immediate outcry from residents. The sculptures were later relocated by their caretakers to Peoples Way, the former gas station site that serves as an informal community gathering space.
“We have been working with the community and have adjusted construction planning in consideration of community concerns,” Henry said.
Rupert, however, remains skeptical of the city’s broader vision for the square.
“They say, ‘oh, the city said they were gonna give this space to us, and we’re going to turn this place into a beautiful plaza,’” Rupert said. “I said, man, you just spelled out the steps of colonization. But ‘don’t worry because it’s gonna help Black businesses. We’re gonna build Black businesses.’ Okay, sure, but do we really want to let the city co-opt all the work that we’ve done?”
Residents can sign up for weekly email updates about construction through the city and attend weekly stakeholder meetings held publicly on Microsoft Teams every Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Izzy Canizares is a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
