We hope you’ll join us in
Restoring Lake Street
Last year was full of unprecedented challenges for the Lake Street community and businesses. The dual impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd left many businesses damaged or destroyed, and others hanging on by a thread.
Our community came together in the aftermath to support the businesses and people who make the corridor the vibrant and transformative place it is for so many. From individuals who helped paint boarded storefronts, to institutional and organizational funders who helped fund the We Love Lake Street recovery fund, Lake Street was able to weather the worst of 2020.
Now, with the support of that same community, we begin the long process of recovery. Along the way, we will work to ensure that the voices of the traditionally marginalized communities along the corridor are heard loudly and that a rising Lake Street brings with it new opportunities for success for all.
Making an Impact
From volunteering to donating – your support meant our community could begin to rebuild and heal over this past year. Your support enabled us to help over 500 small businesses along the Lake Street corridor in 2020 and distribute over $8 million in direct support grants to date. As the most diverse and unique street in the Twin Cities, Lake Street is an incubator for new businesses and immigrant-owned stores, and the start of countless success stories.
By the numbers…
hours of business assistance to primarily BIPOC and immigrant-owned businesses.
new innovative and affordable redevelopment projects supported with acquisition and predevelopment financing.
businesses served with grants, loans, and direct technical assistance.
A Recovery in Progress
Every business along Lake Street was impacted in some way during 2020. Thanks to early investments from the We Love Lake Street fund, many have begun the recovery process.
Recovery Project Highlights
El Rey Car Audio
This 10-year-old Latino-owned business suffered significant inventory loss and damage in May 2020. With the support of community partners like Latino Economic Development Center, DuNord Foundation, Hennepin County and City of Minneapolis technical assistance, and Lake Street law firm Hortensia PLL, however, the owners were able to turn this into an opportunity - buying a building on Lake Street to house their business long-term. Financed in part with a forgivable loan from the We Love Lake Street fund and MCCD, this new location will consist of a showroom and install bay for their business.
Coliseum Building
This 3-story brick building provided space for nonprofits and small businesses before it was gutted by fire in May 2020. Originally slated for demolition, a local nonprofit developer Seward Redesign stepped in with an offer to restore the building and provide affordable space to community-minded businesses. Seward Redesign is currently exploring co-ownership possibilities with DuNord Craft Spirits, the country's first Black-owned distillery, along with two Black-owned firms, Urban Design Perspectives, and CommonSense Consulting@Work. The We Love Lake Street fund provided a grant for pre-development expenses and a forgivable loan for the acquisition. The project is also seeking $5 million in investment in gap financing to keep the space affordable.
27th Avenue & Lake Street
The buildings housing Gandhi Mahal, El Nuevo Rodeo, Migizi, Town Talk, and more were completely demolished in May 2020. Businesses have created a partnership working to reimagine the site to more fully serve the whole community, and Gandhi Mahal hopes to include a community room and kitchen, greenhouse, and solar park as part of their restaurant rebuild. Additionally, Pangea World Theater, a BIPOC-run theater company that rents space down the street, is planning to build its own theater space in the new construction. Lake Street Council provided pre-development grants to Gandhi Mahal and Pangea to work with real estate professionals and architects.
Photo © Longfellow Rising
Building for the Future
We recognize that it's not enough to rebuild, but that we have to reinvest in, reengage with, and restore the community that makes Lake Street unique.
A number of community members and organizations have come together to help in this reimagining, with a focus on building a resilient Lake Street, including growing community ownership for long-term wealth building and ongoing investment in Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) owned businesses.
The outstanding need is real.
While over $12 million in donations and thousands of dollars of in-kind donations have supported the corridor to date, to truly restore Lake Street will cost over $250 million.
Lake Street Council’s Investments & Commitments to Date
The Lake Street Council has invested $8.3 million in recovery efforts as of June 2021. This includes:
$6 million in We Love Lake Street Grants
$1 million in Healthy Lake Street Grants
$1 million in acquisition, predevelopment, and gap financing
$250,000 in business services and support
$100,000 in planning, community engagement, advocacy, and capacity building
The Lake Street Council has committed an additional $3.5 Million toward recovery efforts as of June 2021. This includes:
$250,000 in business services and support
$550,000 in building and security improvements
$750,000 in customer attraction and creative placemaking
$2 million in acquisition, predevelopment, and gap financing
To truly restore Lake Street will cost over $250 million.
Our Partners
African Development Center
African Economic Development Solutions
Allina Health
Black Women’s Wealth Alliance
City of Lakes Commercial Land Trust
City of Minneapolis - CPED
Community Reinvestment Fund
Cultural Wellness Center
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Latino Economic Development Center
Longfellow Business Association
Longfellow Community Council
Longfellow Rising
Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers
Mercado Central
Midtown Global Market
Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District
Mni Sota Fund
Mortenson Construction
Neighborhood Development Center
NEOO Partners
New American Development Center
Pangea World Theater
Pillsbury United Communities
Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association
Redesign Inc
Twin Cities LISC
Lake Street is resilient, but the future of Lake Street will depend on all of us. Here are a few ways you can support Lake Street today.
Help us Restore the Community
You can make a big difference by choosing Lake Street and our hundreds of family-owned businesses as the place you get your essentials, order your take-out, and buy your gifts.
Get started by checking out our Shop Local page and following @VisitLakeStreet on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Stay up-to-date on healing and renewal efforts in communities harmed by the murder of George Floyd through our partner REACH website.
THANK YOU DONORS
Thank you to the over 70,000 individuals and families who supported Lake Street with generous donations throughout 2020.
A special thanks to these companies and organizations for their support.
3M Open Fund
Abbot Northwestern Hospital Medical Staff
Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation
Accurate Outcomes Fund
ActBlue Charities
Affinity Plus
Albrecht Family Foundation
Amidon Graphics
Amy and Chip Pearson Family Foundation
Andersen Corporate Foundation
Arthur E and Jan M Anderson Charitable Account
Astro Gaming
Astrup Family Foundation
Austin Mutual Insurance Company Foundation
Avocet Foundation
Ballard Spahr
Barr Engineering
Bean's Greenwood Marina, Inc.
Bergren Family Fund
BetterUP Inc.
Big Lots!
Bituminous Roadways
BNGF Rieke Hankins Fund
Bold Orange
Boston Scientific
Branch Basics
Brent Schoonover Illustration, LLC
Bridgewater Bank
Broadhead
Buckley Family Charitable Fund
Butler Community Fund
Calvary Christian Reformed Church
Cap Specialty
Capella University
Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Fund
Carval Investors Foundation
CenterPoint Energy Foundation
Centerview Partners
Charles P and Mary E Belgarde Foundation
Community Reinvestment Fund, Inc.
Corp Philanthropy
Crisp & Green Foundation
Cubii
Dick and Joyce H McFarland Family Fund
Dream Family Charitable Gift Fund
East Lake Craft Brewery
East Side Games
Elizabeth Andrus Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
Endeavor Foundation
Engelsma Family Foundation
Erik's Bike Shop
Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber
Extreme Body Shaping
FACE FOUNDRIE
Farley Family Fund
FireEye
Flagship Bank
Flannery Construction
Flar3fir3
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration
Fusion Hill LLC
Gamer Packaging
General Mills
Genz-Ryan
George Family Foundation Brokerage
Girlfriend Collective
Great River Energy
Halftone Digital
Harvard Maintenance
Hawkins Family Foundation
HB Fuller Company Foundation
Helming & Knies Family Foundation
Hennepin County
Hibbs Brenner Family Fund
Husky Spring
Impressions, Incorporated
International Union of Operating Engineers
IRET
James and Gretchen Sandler Philanthropic Fund
Jamf
Jeremy T. Lang and Michelle S. Lang Fund
John and Sue Stillman Fund
Johnson & Johnson
JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation
Keith Giving Account
Kelen Ventures
Kennedy & Cain PLLC
Kimley-Horn Foundation
Kline-Johnson & Associates
Kwik Lok Corporation
Land O' Lakes
Lenore and Charles Hale Family Fund
LHB Foundation Fund
Lightbox Jewelry
LuLuemon
Lunar Empressions
Lurie LLP
M. A. Mortenson Company
Magnusson Family Foundation
Marguerite and Donald L. Harvey Family Fund
Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
Mele, Brengarth & Associates
Mentormate Inc
Michelson USA
Minnesota Twins
MN Wild Hockey Club
Monarch Business & Wealth Management
Mono
Morfitt Family Charitable Fund
Nancy Wiens Charitable Fund
National Hockey League Foundation
Network for Good
New Belgium Brewing Company
Nordic Ware
Novu Health
Oak Grove Foundation
Oak Marsh
OC Tanner Company
Omaha Community Foundation
Opus Foundation
Opus Group
Otto Bremer Trust
Outsell Corporation
Palimpsest Productions
Patina
Paul and Suzanne Cossette Foundation
PayPal Giving Fund
Peloton
Pendleton Woolen Mills, Inc
Perforce Software Inc
Piper Sandler Foundation
Pohlad Family Foundation
Production Engineering Corporation
Punch Neapolitan Pizza
QBP Fund
RBC Capital Markets LLC
Reckitt Benckiser LLC
Red Wing Shoe Co Foundation
Robins Kaplan
Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Route App Inc
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
Sarah F Lang Fund
Schumaker and Sieffert PA
Second Church of Christ
Sees for Chang Charitable Fund
Shriner's Hospitals For Children
Silverback Strategies
Siteimprove Inc
Solhem LLC
Song Charitable Fund
Soo Line West Railroad / Canadian Pacific Railroad
SPEDCO Economic Development Foundation
SunOpta Foods Inc
Syngenta
Target Foundation
TCF National Bank
Tennant Co.
The Alkire Family Fund
The Anderson Revocable Trust
The Baker Family Fund
The Benevity Community Impact Fund
The Bevell Esckilsen Family Charitable Fund
The Calmenson Foundation
The Gerald and Patrice Halbach Charitable Fund
The JAMF Nation Global Foundation
The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota
The LuLu Foundation
The Martha Wren Charitable Fund
The Ruffing Philanthropic Fund
The Schnieders Family Foundation
The Sherwin-Williams Company
The Snow and Chris Family Fund
The Strom Family Fund
The Tom & Rose Mary Meyer Family Fund
TIAA Charitable
Tom and Karlen Howard Family Fund
Total Expert
Triple Perfect / Evolution Championship Series
UCare
UMI Companies, Inc.
Universal Acceptance Corp / Carhop
Uponor
US Bank Foundation
Vallee Family Charitable Fund
Vanderboom Family Charitable Foundation
Verge Scientific
Vireo Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
Vista Outdoor
Watson Family Fund
Well Pet
Wells Fargo Foundation
Werner Electric
When I Work
White House Custom Colour
Wind Point Foundation
Wise Professional Esports Investments
WSB Engineering
Yale and Irene Gotsdiner Family Fund