In a playful jab at remote work, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called out to all the home-based workers, urging them to shed their comfort zones and return to the city's heartbeat. According to FOX 9, while championing the allure of downtown Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Downtown Council's annual meeting on Wednesday, Frey humorously claimed that remote work could turn you into a "loser."
Pandemic trends have left office spaces in downtown Minneapolis eerily quiet, with companies embracing the shift to remote work, deeply affecting the city's economy. Striving to give the district a new lease of life, Mayor Frey beckoned, "Come experience the greatness of downtown. Come back to work." Suggesting the implications of staying away too long, Mayor Frey noted, "when they stay home, sitting on their couch with their nasty cat blanket, fiddling on their laptop. If they do that for a few months, you become a loser. It's a study. We're not losers, are we?" While his comments drew laughter from the audience, a spokesperson later clarified to FOX 9 that the mayor was joking, and no such study exists.
Tapping into the city's inherent spirit of perseverance and ingenuity, Frey stated, "We're winners, we're resilient, we're tough, we're strong, we're innovative." Emphasizing the city's resilience, he proclaimed, "We rise to the challenge, we get knocked down seven times and we get back up eight. That is who we are as a city." The underlying message was clear as the Downtown Council reported that about 65 percent of the workforce has resumed working downtown at least part-time, with peak days being Tuesday through Thursday.
In 2023, Frey proposed transforming the district into a vibrant "playground" replete with bars, restaurants, and attractions. This vision is part of a broader strategic push to reinvigorate the area as traditional office demand wanes. The mayor is not alone in his attitude towards remote work. Major corporations like Meta and Salesforce have also reeled in their flexible work policies, according to Business Insider, implementing stricter office attendance mandates in a bid to refill long-abandoned office corridors.
