Thank you to everyone who came to the DMNA Annual Meeting this past Tuesday night, October 24, at Open Book. We had a great turnout of community members.
The meeting was moderated by DMNA Board Chair Joe Tamburino. He introduced the DMNA Board and provided a list of the organization’s 2017 accomplishments. DMNA Treasurer Dianne Walsh gave a financial update. She provided information on the DMNA’s various funding sources: the Neighborhood Revitalization Program, the Community Participation Program and the Neighborhood Priorities Plan.
Next, Council Member Jacob Frey gave the Ward 3 Update. He highlighted the numerous development projects under construction in the downtown community, as well as commented on a few in the pipeline. He thanked the community for allowing him to serve them for the past four years, and said he will remain engaged in the City regardless of the outcome of the Mayoral election on November 7.
Following CM Frey’s update, DMNA Board Member Travis Nordgaard facilitated a public forum on 800 Washington Avenue. Emily Stern and Andrea Brennan from CPED participated in the conversation. Stern reviewed the previous RFP process and noted that the new RFP will remain mostly the same. They are not specifying a requirement for owner-occupied or rental housing on the site. Brennan provided information on the number of rental units in the downtown community. The forum concluded with an informal ballot vote to solicit feedback from the community on what they would like to see on this highly visible and unique property. The majority of people who attended the meeting indicated that they would prefer to see a mixed-use project with owner-occupied housing, and a combination of retail/commercial or office space.
After the public forum on 800 Washington Avenue, elections for the DMNA Board of Directors took place. Kevin Frazell, Pam McCrea, Travis Nordgaard and Joe Tamburino were elected to the board. The next DMNA Board meeting is on November 20, at 5:45 p.m., at the Mill City Museum.
The meeting concluded with a presentation by Kyle Chank from the Super Bowl 52 Host Committee. He provided information on how the upcoming 2018 Super Bowl will impact the downtown community. He noted that the majority of the public events will take place at the Convention Center, along Nicollet Mall, at The Commons and at US Bank Stadium. He reviewed the transportation plan, which will include some street closures near the stadium between Friday night after rush hour and Monday, as well as modifications to LRT service on game day. Below is a link to Chank’s presentation.
Super Bowl 52: Celebrate the Bold North
DMNA 2017 Annual Meeting PowerPoint