Uptown United Meets Over Safety & Livability

From WCCO:

Over 100 people packed into a building near the intersection of Lake and Hennepin in South Minneapolis on Thursday, to attend a meeting to discuss safety and livability concerns in the once-thriving Uptown neighborhood. 

Neighbors, business owners and a few officers from the city's 5th precinct filled a soon-to-be restaurant. The Arizona Taco Company plans to open the new location this spring. Despite some challenges just outside their doors, the owners say they want to bring back the flourishing neighborhood they once knew. 

"We're going to come in here and support the community," said owner Marcos Ayala. 

Ayala was joined by the Uptown Association and the newly established Uptown United, created by Kevin Norman. All say they're focused on finding solutions.

"People have been avoiding this area," said Norman, who lives in the neighborhood. "A place for homeless people to gather open drug use, and as a result of that, people don't feel safe here." 

Data from the city of Minneapolis since the start of the year shows there have been more assaults, car thefts, robberies, and calls for gunshots in Ward 10, the Uptown area, compared to the same time frame last year.

After calling on local leaders for change, Norman said his grassroots effort to organize took off. 

"Instead of waiting for politicians to come around and pass the right policies, we can start taking action right now," Norman said. "I'm just somebody that cares about this city."

One of the neighborhood initiatives is centered around community walks. Norman says groups of volunteers will gather and walk commercial corridors, an effort to bring a positive presence and deter illegal activity. Ayala calls it a kind of community watch group. 

Minneapolis police are conducting their own targeted efforts and told those at the meeting on Thursday Uptown is an area of focus for their directed patrol unit. 

Both Ayala and Norman say their memories of Uptown are what help drive their efforts to improve the neighborhood and are hopeful others are inspired to join them.

• Uptown United is organizing walking patrols starting this Friday, Mar. 27.