New plan emerges for replacing torched Third Precinct police station in Minneapolis

Minneapolis leaders revealed a new plan Monday for what to do about the police station that was torched in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, the officers who work there, and the surrounding community.

Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council President Andrea Jenkins and others said they're now supporting a "medium term" plan to relocate the Third Precinct to a building on the outskirts of downtown.

The latest twist in the yearslong saga came on the same day that much-anticipated results from a survey of south Minneapolis residents revealed that most respondents with a clear preference would rather rebuild at the existing site than construct a new one several blocks away for twice the price.

For months, only those two options were on the table as a consultant organized the online survey and more than a dozen meetings to take the pulse of the community.

But many residents complained about the process and some vehemently opposed either location, saying that building a new precinct would be seen as a reward for bad behavior. Those sentiments were not reflected in the numerical survey results, which Frey called "inconclusive."

That, Jenkins said Monday, is what prompted her to come up with a third option: moving Third Precinct operations into Century Plaza, just north of Interstate 94 and a few blocks outside the actual Third Precinct boundary. Officers would share the space with police in the First Precinct, who were already slated to vacate their cramped quarters in downtown's entertainment district in favor of the more modern and spacious facility next summer.

That arrangement could last a year or more.

Jenkins may introduce a legislative directive to the City Council as soon as Tuesday. It affords her, Frey and others the chance to avoid having to make a permanent decision — and one that would surely be controversial — any time soon.

The Third Precinct station's charred remains, still encircled by razor wire, have long served as a painful reminder of the civil unrest after the 2020 murder of Floyd by a white police officer.

"That site has created a lot of trauma, a lot of consternation for a lot of people, and yet, we still have a deep concern about the public safety in the area, in that community, and how will we address those concerns," Jenkins said. "I see this as a positive alternative."

At a Monday news conference announcing the new plan that included Frey, Jenkins, Community Safety Commissioner Cedric Alexander and council Vice President Linea Palmisano, no one addressed what might happen to the hulking structure in the meantime.

After nearly three years of inaction, city leaders partnered with a consulting firm to gather feedback from neighbors and local business owners about the Third Precinct's fate.

Of the 2,412 who responded with a clear preference and who live, work or visit the police station, 66% — or 1,591 respondents — indicated a preference to renovate the existing building for an estimated $12 million, while 34% — 821 people — voted to build a new precinct headquarters at a city-owned vacant lot four blocks away as a sort of "fresh start," according to a 105-page report made public Monday.

Those in favor of rebuilding the original precinct cited a desire to get officers back in the neighborhood sooner and cut costs. Many expressed a desire to direct money into police training and community programming. Others noted that the current location on Minnehaha Avenue and Lake Street offers the most visibility and accessibility for residents.

A significant number of those who chose the site four blocks away wrote that a new building, free of negative associations from the riots, marked an opportunity for the Minneapolis Police Department and the community to begin the healing process.

The proposed new location was symbolic and gave the city a chance "to break with the previous toxic culture that gave rise to the repeated abuses suffered by citizens of color and those who advocate for better community-engaged policing," one respondent wrote, according to feedback outlined in the report.

But at least 377 people opposed rebuilding or replacing a precinct in the area at all, given the trauma that residents experienced — both at the hands of law enforcement and amid the unrest of 2020.

Since "neither site" was not offered as an option on the survey, those responses were tossed before votes were tallied.

Out of 3,620 people who started the online survey, 1,208 responses — or a full third — weren't counted because they either didn't complete it, picked one of the two sites but later stated they didn't want either, or indicated they had no relationship with the Third Precinct area.

The report, prepared by DeYoung Consulting Services, outlines a number of caveats about its methodology, including an acknowledgement that online survey results didn't capture the nuance of verbal feedback garnered during 13 in-person meetings this spring.

A broad coalition of neighborhood organizations had lambasted the city's community engagement process, accusing leaders of attempting to ram through a predetermined decision.

Council Member Robin Wonsley, a frequent critic of police whose Second Ward encompasses the torched station, said in a text Monday, "Mayor Frey's sudden announcement of a 'third' option affirms that our residents were right all along."

City officials long contended that allowing Third Precinct officers to operate from downtown hampered response times to the city's southeast quadrant and denied citizens critical access to a local police station to file reports.

On Monday, Frey countered that Century Plaza is just outside the Third Precinct boundary and right next to Interstate 35W, which allows officers "to get from point A to point B" faster. Deputy Chief Troy Schoenberger, who appeared on behalf of Chief Brian O'Hara, said the change should improve response times from where officers currently are because it will be "incredibly convenient to get to the furthest parts of the precinct."

When asked what the actual Third Precinct officers — who have been temporarily relocated twice already — think of this proposal, Alexander told the media that the majority support it.

"I believe that many of them have come to terms with the fact that it's time to move forward," he said.

Full survey results are slated to be presented to the council's Committee of the Whole on Tuesday morning.