After a protracted legal squabble, Minnesota's state legislature has thrown Mayor Jacob Frey and the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan a lifeline. In a late-night move, Sunday, lawmakers earmarked legislation aimed at putting to bed the legal wrangling that had put the brakes on the city's ambitious overhaul of its zoning and housing policy. The 2040 Plan, thrust into a courtroom limbo, can now finally shift gear, with Minneapolis set to give the green light to a backlog of multi-unit housing projects.
Mayor Frey hasn't hedged his bets when it came to the city’s legal tussle, boldly declaring victory months in advance, whether it be by judicial decree or legislative sleight, with the latter now delivering the goods. "This is a huge win and a proud moment for our city and state," Frey boasted, recognizing the concerted effort that steered the legislative vehicle across the finish line —despite having been stuck in the courts.
The 2040 Plan, with the gravitas of a city's two-decade blueprint, was applauded nationwide after its enactment back in 2019. Ratcheting up affordable housing output to record levels, the plan simultaneously handcuffed soaring rents, claiming some of the country's most cost-effective rates. In terms of cash injection, Mayor Frey and Minneapolis haven't been tight-fisted, funneling over $360 million since 2018 into affordable housing faucets.
The plan, hailed for its architectural reforms, promised to sprinkle a diversity of residential options throughout Minneapolis neighborhoods, challenging the cityscape to its core. According to the city's announcement, "The Minneapolis 2040 Plan has allowed us to break ground on a diversity of projects across our city while pushing back on generations of intentional segregation." A legislative patch, though long-awaited, lends cement to Mayor Frey's ambitious urban narrative, one whose pages were gathering dust due to legal roadblocks.
