>> ERIC: NICOLLET MALL AS A 24-HOUR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, FORMER OFFICE SPACE TRANSFORMED INTO HOUSING, AND A RETURN TO STREET LEVEL RETAIL SERVICES.

THESE ARE JUST THREE OF THE IDEAS FROM "DOWNTOWN NEXT," A NEW MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION REPORT THAT RE-IMAGINES THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS IN THE POST-PANDEMIC ERA.

HERE WITH MORE, R.T. RYBAK, CURRENT HEAD OF THE MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION AND A FORMER MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR.

HERE TOO, ONE OF THE REPORT AUTHORS, SARAH HARRIS.

AUTHORS, SARAH HARRIS.AUTHORS, WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.

ABSENT A DOWNTOWN IS A SEENO, HOW DOES THE NICOLLET MALL TURN INTO A 24-HOUR ENTERTAINMENT HUB.

>> WELL ...

I'M NOT SURE IS A CASINO WAS WHERE WE WERE HEADING WITH THAT.

YOU TAKE THE BUSES OFF THE MALL AND YOU PUT IN MARKETS AND SMALL RETAILERS AND LANE OF THE PEOPLE AND GREENING.

>> Cathy: HOW DO YOU KEEP IT SAFE, THOUGH?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE DISCUSSION ABOUT DOWNTOWN FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN SAFETY.

I MEAN, IDENTIFICATION THE REAL THING TO DO IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT A GIANT ANVIL WAS DROPPED N DOWNTOWN AND EVERY DOWNTOWN WITH COVID AND ALL OF THAT.

DOWNTOWN HAS ALWAYS COME BACK AND IT'S BEGUN TO, BUT THE REPORT THAT SARAH DID FOR US AT THE MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION REALLY SAID, IT'S NOT THE SAME DOWNTOWN.

IT USED TO BE SIX REALLY STRONG BLOCKS.

BUT NOW IT'S MANY BLOCKS.

IT'S NORTH LOOP, RIVER, IT'S EAST TOWN, IT'S LORING.

AND THEY ARE INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS JUST ON THE CUSP OF THE CENTRAL DISTRICT.

SO THIS NEW BIGGER DOWNTOWN CAN LEARN A NUMBER OF LESSONS FROM THAT AND THAT'S WHY WE COMMISSIONED THEM WHO ARE THREE INCREDIBLE PROFESSIONALS TO TAKE ALL THESE IDEAS AND IN THAT CONTEXT TRY TO TALK ABOUT THE BIG AND SMALL THINGS TO DO NEXT.

>> Eric: I READ THE REPORT.

IT'S INCREDIBLY COMPREHENSIVE.

AND I GIVE YOU GOOD CREDIT FOR STARTING A BIG CONVERSATION HERE.

THE PROBLEM FOR THE NICOLLET MALL IS THAT IT WAS CATERED TO WHITE COLLAR WORKERS AND THEY'RE GONE OR GOING.

AND WHAT'S GOING TO REPLACE IT OR WHAT COULD REPLACE IT?

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S NOT JUST NICOLLET MALL.

ALL OF DOWNTOWN WAS REALLY FOCUSED FOR A VERY LONG TIME ON THAT PERSON WHO WAS 25 TO 60 YEARS OLD AND IN AN OFFICE.

AND I THINK IT'S TRUE THAT MOST DOWNTOWNS NOW ARE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, IT'S MORE THAN THOSE EIGHT HOURS.

THERE WILL STILL BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING IN TOX DO YOU KNOW.

R.T.'S OFFICE IS STILL THERE.

>> I WAS THERE A FEW HOURS AGO AND I'M THERE EVERY DAY.

>> BUT DOWNTOWNS ARE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO DURING ALL 24 HOURS?

WE CAN HAVE RETAIL.

WE CAN CAN HAVE OFFICES, SMALL BUSINESSES, LARGES BUSINESSES, ENTERTAINMENT, GREENING, BE MARKETSES, ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE BECAUSE WE WERE SO DARN FOCUSED ON THE OFFICE, WORKERS.

AND EXPAND WHO NEEDS TO BE DOWNTOWN.

[Overlapping conversations] >> IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A PLAN IN THE FUTURE.

RIGHT NOW THE NORTH STAR BUILDING, AN OFFICE BUILDING IN THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN IS BEING CONVERTED TO HOUSING.

SO THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN SOME CASES.

RIGHT NOW THERE'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT TAKING BUSES OFF THE MALL.

WHICH COULD ALLOW US TO DO THINGS LIKE HAVE A PHENOMENAL WINTER EXPERIENCE ALL WINTER LONG LIKE WE DID DURING THE SUPER BOWL.

RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TEARING DOWN THE PARKING RAMP NEXT TO THE POST OFFICE IF THE POST OFFICE WOULD JUST AGREE TO ACTUALLY GET SOME MONEY THAT THEY NEED.

BUT MORE IMPORTANT, SARAH AND THE TEAM REALLY LOOKED AT THIS IDEA ABOUT MOVING FROM A MONO-CULTURE TO A MULTI-CULTURE.

I HAVE WORKED DOWNTOWN ALL MY LIFE.

I ALWAYS WILL.

I WORK IN THE I.D.S.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF US THERE.

THERE WILL STILL BE.

BUT THERE ALSO NEED TO BE YOUNGER PEOPLE, PEOPLE FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, AND THAT IS THE CASE, A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM THAT CORE OF DOWNTOWN.

WE SIMPLY HAVE TO FUSE THAT 24-HOUR MULTI-CULTURE, MULTIEXPERIENCE RIGHT INTO THE CORE.

>> Cathy: SO THE NORTH LOOP IS DOING REALLY WELL.

ELLIOTT PARK COMES TO MIND IS ALSO DOING PRETTY WELL.

THEY'RE THRIVING.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING THAT CAN BE REPLICATED RIGHT IN THE CORE AREA?

>> WELL, EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHICH IS ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT USES BLENDED TOGETHER.

THEY HAVE OFFICES, RESIDENCES, ENTERTAINMENT, RESTAURANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND IF WE START TO BLEND MANUFACTURE THOSE USES INTO THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN, IT, TOO, CAN HAVE THE SAME SUCCESS THAT THESE NEIGHBORING VILLAGES HAVE.

>> Cathy: AND THEY DON'T HAVE SKYWAYS.

PEOPLE LOVE SKYWAYS.

I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FREEZE YOURSELF AS YOU'RE GOING OUT.

BUT WHAT OR HOW MUCH THE SKYWAY SYSTEM EALLY HAS RUINED BUSINESSES IN DOWN TOWNL MINNEAPOLIS?

>> EL, FOR SURE IT DILUTES THE FOOT TRAFFIC.

AND WE AREN'T SAYING DO AWAY WITH SKYWAYS.

WE'RE SAYING MAKE THEM USEFUL FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THEM.

SO MAKE SURE THAT THE SKYWAYS ARE SERVING THE COMMUTING FUNCTION AND MAKE SURE THAT SKYWAYS ARE THE SERVICE ORIENTED WHETHER IT'S A BANK OR A DIRECTOR'S OFFICE.

BUT LET'S MOVE THE RETAIL BACK DOWN TO THE STREET LEVEL WHERE PEOPLE CAN FIND IT.

PEOPLE WHO AREN'T IN THOSE BUILDING ALL THE TIME AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SKYWAYS AND THERE USED TO BE A MYTH THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE A SKYWAY IN ORDER TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN.

BUT I THINK WE'VE PROVEN TO BE BE MAYBE NOT SO TRUE.

ALL OF THESE NEIGHBORHOOD VILLAGES AROUND DOWNTOWN ARE DOING JUST GREAT.

AND THEY ON'T HAVE SKYWAYS.

>> Eric: BUT OF UT YOUR CITY HALL HAT ON FOR A SECOND.

I THINK MAYBE HALF THE COUNCIL DOESN'T LIKE DOWNTOWN.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS ARE NOT EXCITED ABOUT HELPING DOWNTOWN.

YOU GOT UM ANTICIPATE-TEEN COMMITTEES AND GROUPS WORKING ON THIS.

THERE'S SO MUCH PROCESS IN MINNEAPOLIS CITY GOVERNMENT.

IS THIS GOING TO BE, ADMIRE THE PROBLEM AND IT GOES AWAY?

>> I DON'T BUY THAT AT ALL HAVING TALK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT IT, EXISTING AND A NEW ONE.

BUT DOWNTOWN HAS NEVER BEEN LED BY CITY HALL.

I MEAN, I'M AS DOWNTOWN AS YOU GET, AND I HAD SOME IMPACT ON IT.

BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, DOWNTOWN BELONGS TO EVERYONE.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SARAH AND HE CREW SAID IS THAT IF WE WANT A DOWNTOWN THAT REPRESENTS SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, THIS ISN'T ABOUT A TOP-DOWN APPROACH OF ONE ORGANIZATION EVEN THE DOWNTOWN COUNCIL'S A GREAT ORGANIZATION, BUT HOW DOES THAT REPRESENT ALL THESE VILLAGES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?

WE WANT YOUTH INVOLVED.

WE WANT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER COME DOWNTOWN.

WE WANT OFFICE WORKERS.

AND MINNEAPOLIS IS NOT A POLITICAL TOWN.

IT'S A CIVIC TOWN.

THAT'S ALWAYS THE CASE AS A FORMER MAYOR.

AND SO WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS, CITY BUILDING IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT.

GET UP OFF THE COUNTY.

I DON'T MEAN THIS ONE.

AND ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE WHAT CAN EACH PERSON DO?

THERE ARE PEOPLE OWNING STORES.

THERE ARE PEOPLE CONVERTING PLACES TO HOUSING.

THERE ARE PEOPLE MOVING THERE.

SO LET'S NOT SORT OF SIT HERE LIKE IT'S A, YOU KNOW, UNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL.

AND WATCH THIS THING.

I'M REALLY CALLING ON THE PEOPLE TO DO, LIKE, WHAT TARGET DID TODAY, WHICH IS TO SAY, BRING PEOPLE BACK.

WHAT THE MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION IS DOING, WE HAVE A BIG LUNCH EVERY WEDNESDAY FOR THE ATTEMPT.

AND PEOPLE TODAY WE ALL WENT OUT TO A RESTAURANT AND HAD A GREAT TIME.

IT REALLY IS ABOUT ALL OF US TO RECOGNIZE THE CENTER OF THIS PLACE SHOULD BELONG TO ALL OF US.

>> CAN I JUST JUMP IN REAL QUICK.

I WOULD JUST SAY THAT AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT DOWRCH TOWN IS EVERYBODY'S NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT'S THE PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY CAN COME TOGETHER AND EXPERIENCE EACH OTHER AND WHAT OUR CITY HAS TO OFFER.

>> Eric: IT'S A VERY VALUABLE REPORT.