The Downtown Minneapolis Residents Association (DMRA) is organized and operated to promote the common good and general welfare of the community. Civic betterment and improvement are sought through discussion, education and change. Major objectives will include, but not be limited to, arranging and conducting neighborhood meetings, studying and reviewing all proposals of a commercial, residential, or housing development/rehabilitation nature. The DMRA will seek to encourage and maintain open communication between residents and such local organizations as the Minneapolis Community Development Agency (MCDA) and Minneapolis City Council. The DMRA shall be educational and advisory in nature.
For many years downtown Minneapolis residents have wanted to have one of the benefits that residents in other city neighborhoods have enjoyed: an organization representing their interests. New developments, major events, and important issues affecting their living environment are what have drawn downtown residents together-the same types of issues that have mobilized other residential communities. For example, when the plans for a new Federal Reserve Bank building downtown were being presented in 1992, 80 people attended a meeting organized by the DMRA.
The first formal meeting of what is now known as the DMRA occurred in September, 1991 at the Crossings Condominiums. Downtown residents from six buildings in the downtown area served by DMRA attended the meeting. The group organized quickly. By October, 1991 they had drafted By-Laws. Within 60 days of first meeting, the group selected the DMRA name and elected a board.
The first regular activity of the DMRA was to hold quarterly meetings featuring topics of importance to downtown residents. This effort was in response to a survey of residents conducted by DMRA that showed that providing "more information about current city issues" was the most important service it could provide to its members.
Topics addressed by DMRA at quarterly meetings since then include:
A future topic that will need to be addressed by the DMRA is how
it should organize to take advantage of the new resources offered
to all Minneapolis neighborhoods through the city's Neighborhood
Revitalization Program (NRP). That planning process will begin
this year.
General Membership Meetings are held three times each year.
The annual meeting is held in November, at which directors are
elected. Meetings are open to the public. Individuals on the
membership list will be notified of each meeting by mail if they
have placed their name on our membership list. MEMBERSHIP IS
FREE. Please fill out the application, call 220-3836, or write to:
DMRA
Other Benefits of Membership include:
DMRA Board Meetings are held on the third Tuesday
of each month, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at various locations in the neighborhood.
Board meetings are open to the public. The schedule of Board meetings
is presented in the gray box on the right. Please call 220-3836
to verify the location of each month's meetings.
Planned Activities and Responsibilities of DMRA Committees
in 1995
Physical Environment
Community Services
Operations
Finance and Legal (Chaired by Treasurer)
Membership and Meeting Information
P.O. Box 581492
Minneapolis, MN 55458-1492