Hennepin County-led Franklin Avenue reconstruction approved; business owners object to removal of eastbound left turn

The Climate and Infrastructure Committee of the City of Minneapolis on March 6 approved resolutions ordering the Franklin Avenue reconstruction to proceed, adopting $1,252,652 in special assessments for the street reconstruction and authorizing sale of assessment bonds. Hennepin County is leading the 1.2-mile reconstruction between Lindell Avenue South and Chicago Avenue South; the total anticipated project cost is $26,715,000, with anticipated city cost participation of $6,740,240.

The committee vote follows presentations by city and county staff and a public hearing with business owners and residents who objected to elements of the design and to the special assessments. Allison Bell, senior project engineer in the Transportation Engineering and Design Division of Public Works, told the committee the project will include “full removal of the existing roadway, new pedestrian ramps, sidewalks, bike facility, new pavement, new curb and gutter, green infrastructure, street lighting, and utility improvements.” Jeff Hanlon, principal professional engineer with the city, explained the $1,252,652 assessment total is based on 2025 uniform assessment rates and the influence-area method and said assessments are payable over a 20-year period.

Why it matters: The corridor redesign aims to add bike facilities, pedestrian improvements and green infrastructure while changing vehicle lane configurations. That has raised safety and access questions from longstanding businesses and nearby residents, who said lane removals and medians could reduce customer access, funnel traffic into neighborhood streets and affect emergency response times.

Business owners and residents urged changes. Erin Myring, representing the Electric Fetus record store with her spouse Stephanie Myring, said the business has operated at the Franklin and Fourth Avenue corner for decades and that parts of the intersection and sidewalks were recently rebuilt during prior projects. “We believe and feel that we shouldn't have to pay for something that has recently been done,” Erin Myring said, adding that the proposed removal of an eastbound left-turn lane would “restrict access to our store, funnel traffic to a small constricted street, discourage people from coming to our place of business and neighborhood, and make it difficult and less timely for emergency vehicles to service us.”

Hennepin County and city staff defended the design as the product of multi-year engagement and engineering review. Peter Bennett, a transportation planner working on the county-led project, said, “the actions that were taken by this committee and by city council as a whole on March 28th of 2024 were to approve the concept layout of the Franklin Avenue project and to authorize negotiating with private property owners for right of way. That layout was developed through an engagement process that the county ran for several years.” Nathan Ellingson, Hennepin County project manager, said the design balances space, safety and operations across modes: “We do believe that the project design ... is reflective of the project goals that we've established through multiple years of public engagement and stakeholder engagement.”

Staff described assessment methodology and options. Hanlon said the city applies the 2025 uniform assessment rates of $2.98 per square foot for nonresidential property and $1.00 per square foot for residential property to an influence area; the assessment is spread over 20 years. He said a property’s land-use mix can produce mixed residential/nonresidential assessments. Counsel and staff noted that churches and schools are typically assessed at the nonresidential rate. Staff also explained deferment options: property owners who are 65 or older, permanently and totally disabled, or ordered into active military service may qualify for assessment deferment (deferment postpones payment but does not forgive the assessment; interest accrues while deferred). Objecting property owners may reserve the right to appeal the assessment to district court.

Committee members asked staff to continue outreach and to meet with business and property owners during design refinement and before construction. Council Member Osman and others said they will remain engaged with neighbors through construction and reminded speakers of the deferment and appeal options staff described.

Actions taken: the committee passed resolutions ordering the work to proceed, adopting special assessments totaling $1,252,652, authorizing the sale of assessment bonds, and authorizing abandonment and removal of area ways that conflict with the project. The motion carried; vote tallies were not specified in the transcript.

What’s next: Staff said the project is nearing final plans and is expected to start construction later this summer and into the fall; city and county staff offered to meet with affected property owners for follow-up. The county noted parking and loading on Franklin will not be provided in the proposed configuration, and any curb-use changes on Fourth Avenue South would be addressed separately.