Roper: Plentiful ideas to fix Nicollet Mall show it has a bright future

The good news for Nicollet Mall is that a lot of people care about its future.

Readers responding to my recent column about the mall imagined museums, parks, kiosks, buskers, bathrooms and much more reviving this significant street — across more than 200 pieces of feedback. People shared their thoughts via email, comments, social media, and submissions to our Tuesday liveblog.

Many agreed that it needs smaller storefronts, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who messaged to say he has long supported that idea. OK, I will go on a quest to deliver this message to the owners of City Center. If I don't return, please let my cat George open a cat café in the old Marshalls space.

Most readers did not specifically weigh in on the plan to remove the buses. Those who did were divided on the issue.

Kathy Fiscus wrote that she is charmed by pedestrian malls while visiting great cities around the world. "They are vibrant places filled with people," she wrote.

Will Goleski said that, as it stands, Nicollet Mall is just another downtown street. "A pedestrian only Nicollet, however, now you have something totally unique," Goleski wrote.

"I think taking transit off the mall is a mistake, and that cleaner versions of buses need to be incorporated," wrote Jim Welsch. Kyle Bagley suggested a compromise, removing the buses from 4th Street to Washington Avenue.

Many people would like to see a more colorful mall.

"I wish there were more flowers and greenery," wrote Jill Lyon. "The whole streetscape is so cold and concrete."

"Huge planters and hanging baskets of flowers would be a great improvement, as would colorful murals and art installations," wrote Annette Walen. Another reader, Irving Kellman, suggested taking things to the next level by tearing up the concrete and replacing it with grass.

Others wanted to see more regular, small-scale music performances. Dennis Cavanaugh noted that Minneapolis is a hub for local music. "Use the empty spaces for concerts and community gathering," Cavanaugh wrote.

Safety on the mall

A number of people mentioned that the city needs to make Nicollet Mall safer — or at least address the perception that it is unsafe. I take that seriously. I don't personally feel unsafe there during my commutes, but I understand that others may experience it differently.

I have witnessed unpleasant behavior on the mall. I think a big part of its perceived safety problem, though, is that there are not enough people to provide "eyes on the street" — which discourages bad activity and creates a more comfortable atmosphere. We can blame skyways for some of that (jots down future column idea).

Improving and marketing the safety of Nicollet Mall was part of a lengthy recipe of suggestions I received from David Westlund. He also proposed bringing back the popcorn wagon, a longtime fixture of the mall that was unceremoniously booted during the renovation — amid tears from its owner. It must have been too colorful.

"There are no museums in the heart of downtown — would be great to have one on Nicollet," Westlund added. I agree! In this spirit, Carol Becker suggested downtown outposts of Paisley Park, Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Franconia Sculpture Garden.

Some suggested a simpler approach to small-scale retail spaces.

"The realistic alternative to having more doors is to have permanent kiosks with required hours of operation that become a festive hub for residents and tourists alike," wrote Garry Woessner, who supports making Nicollet a pedestrian mall like those in Denver, Santa Monica and Toronto.

Denver's 16th Street Mall comes up a lot in conversations about Nicollet Mall. That downtown pedestrian zone was recently rebranded "16th Street" after a renovation that wrapped up last month. It was lively when I visited in 2016, with free circulator buses traversing the street (they are now quiet, battery-powered electric models). Like Nicollet Mall, though, it has been struggling since the pandemic. We should keep an eye on whether the redo livens things up.

Hal Davis thought we could take some inspiration from Church Street in Burlington, Vt. — a very quaint street that I've also visited. "Pedestrian mall, many stores (including 2 bookstores) and restaurants, plus a busker program," Davis wrote. Another reader said to look at St. Laurent Street in Montreal, much of which closes to traffic in the summer.

People during Tuesday's live chat raised the issue of people "going potty" on the mall. What do we expect when we provide so few places to use the bathroom? People have been calling this out for years. Denver installed a stand-alone bathroom near its mall several years ago — Minneapolis should make a similar statement.

"If the mayor wants to revive the area, facilities need to be more accessible," wrote Glenn Johnston, who had trouble finding a bathroom recently while visiting the IDS Center.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the number of people who brought up parking. Some people wanted to be able to park on Nicollet Mall itself, which to me negates the benefits of making it a transit way or a pedestrian space.

Sam Pingree wrote that a lot of the conversation about Nicollet Mall seems too focused on drawing people to downtown — rather than focusing on amenities for the 60,000 residents who already live there. That's a larger population than most suburbs.

I'm very encouraged by the interest in this topic and hope we can keep this conversation going in future columns.

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