In a significant stride toward environmental justice, the East Phillips Indoor Urban Farm project sees new life as the Minneapolis City Council pushes the project's purchase agreement deadline to September 15, 2025. The extension is hitched to a $5.7 million legislative action by May 31, 2025. The Minneapolis Ward 9 shared this development with the community, heralding it as a win spurred by relentless neighborhood advocacy.
The bill facilitating the farm project did not pass in the MN State Senate at the end of the last legislative session, putting the project in jeopardy. Despite this setback, efforts by the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) and local legislators to secure funding and keep the urban farm dream viable have continued. According to a Facebook post by Jason Chavez from Minneapolis Ward 9, EPNI has enhanced its leverage by pledging marketable securities against a portion of its sale value.
This move is orchestrated as an agreement between the Minneapolis Mayor, City Council, and EPNI, demonstrating how collective effort can pivot toward progress. It also leverages a $2 million Special Appropriation/DEED Grant previously sanctioned by the state for property acquisition in Minneapolis, which is now earmarked to buttress the urban farm agenda. These intertwined state funding measures align with the city's aspirations for a greener future.
In a significant testament to the community's resolve, longstanding industrial residents such as Smith Foundry and Bituminous Roadways have ceased their operations in East Phillips, as mentioned by Chavez. "And now, after a decade of organizing and fighting for Native Sovereignty and clean air, my residents and Phillips' neighbors are one step closer to realizing their dream for a better future with this term sheet," Chavez told Minneapolis Ward 9 followers. This term sheet aims to transform lives, and with the community's backing, the dream of sustainable living endures.
