Minneapolis streetcar open house tonight
Minneapolis city officials are holding a series of open houses starting Tuesday to gather public input on a proposed streetcar line along Nicollet Avenue.
The proposed route would take riders three miles, from Lake Street and Nicollet on the city's south side, through downtown and over the river to East Hennepin Avenue.
In June, the City Council approved redirecting $60 million in property taxes to fund part of the $200 million dollar project aimed at spurring development and helping exiting businesses along the route.
"Modern streetcars have an extraordinary ability to catalyze economic development," said Peter Wagenius, Mayor RT Rybak's policy director. "We love buses. Buses work great on 95 percent of city streets and that's how it's going to be for decades to come. But on a few select corridors, we want more than simply a fast ride from point A to point B. We want that economic development impact."
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The open house runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall. The main presentation starts at noon.
A second hearing will take place Wednesday, Aug. 7, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Eastside Food Co-op, 2551 Central Avenue NE. The main presentation starts at 6 p.m.
A third hearing will take place Wednesday, Aug. 14, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Colin Powell Center (3rd Floor), 2924 4th Avenue South. The main presentation at 6 p.m.