Business owners seek delay in Lyndale Ave. construction

Business owners in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood are seeking to delay a planned construction project along Lyndale Avenue South, as a deadline to use federal funding for the project approaches.

The Minneapolis City Council is set to vote Thursday on whether to approve a plan for reconstruction of the corridor between Interstate 94 and 32nd Street.

Staff at Hennepin County — which is overseeing the project — say the design will be safer for pedestrians and bring needed utility upgrades to the nearly 100-year-old road, including medians, a bike lane and lighting improvements.

But several business owners say they’re worried that construction will deter customers. Several spoke at a City Council committee meeting last week, and asked for a delay of the project.

Many of them pointed to businesses on nearby Hennepin Avenue, which recently underwent a similar multi-year construction project. Some businesses there are still struggling — and some owners blame a reduction in street parking, and new medians that prevent turns.

Stefani Pennaz is the executive director of the Uptown Association. She asked the council to wait on the Lyndale project and give business owners time to recover from the last round of construction.

“Sales have not rebounded the way they expected, foot traffic has not returned to the levels they hoped for. Many are operating on incredibly thin margins, looking out their windows at neighboring vacant storefronts and wondering whether they’ll be next,” Pennaz said.

But officials on the project said there’s no time to wait. About $9 million — almost half the cost of the project — is coming from federal funding. That will expire if construction doesn’t start by 2028.

Josh Potter is the project manager with Hennepin County.

“There is no time left in this project to keep talking about this and kick the can down the road,” Potter said at the meeting. “We need to keep moving to meet the federal funding deadline.”

The project has already been delayed to do more community engagement — which has been tense. A business group pushed the county to scrap the bike lane and keep more street parking; they clashed with a group of local residents and advocates who wanted a bike lane and more space for public transit.

Julie Johnson advocated for the bike lane. She was one of several residents who urged the council last week to move ahead with the plan.

“Better opportunities for people to bike, walk, roll and spend more time on Lyndale is better for everyone,” Johnson said. “It leads to cleaner air, more affordable cities and a place where people want to spend time.”

The final design keeps about three-quarters of the street parking along that stretch of Lyndale, and includes a bike lane between I-94 and 28th Street. That plan still left some unhappy. Business owners at the council meeting said they’re worried that’s too much of a decrease in parking; some bike advocates said the bike lane should extend further south.

City Council member Soren Stevenson said the plan is the best middle ground.

“The concept plan that we have in front of us is clearly a compromise. No one here is getting everything that they want,” Stevenson said.

Other council members on the committee said they also support the plan — but several said the county should help business owners and residents get through the construction project.

County staff said the county will have an engagement plan to work with people and help connect them to resources.

Potter also said the county will look into ways to shorten the construction timeline. He gave a three-year estimate for the project, but said project leaders would work with contractors to speed it up.

Council member Aurin Chowdhury said she thinks it’s a good plan, and said the city should consider events along the corridor during the construction period to help bring people to the street.

“I really acknowledge the fear that comes with the uncertainty of street reconstruction, especially after the last six years in our city, but I think that there’s a possibility that this can be a moment of growth,” Chowdhury said.

If the plan is approved, construction is set to start in 2028.