After 3 Years, MPLS City Council Agrees On New 3rd Precinct Building

MINNEAPOLIS — More than three years after rioters burned the Minneapolis Police Department's Third Precinct building down in the wake of George Floyd's murder, the City Council approved plans to build out a new "Third Precinct and Safety Center" at 2633 Minnehaha Avenue.

"Today has been a long time in the making," said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Thursday.

"It’s time to move forward with our vision for comprehensive safety services – a vision we all agree on. Now that we have a site approved, we will begin work immediately on the safety center."

Since winter 2021, the precinct has operated out of the City of Lakes Building in downtown Minneapolis, located outside the third precinct.

The newly agreed-upon site at 2633 Minnehaha Avenue was under consideration three years ago in 2020, but the deal fell through due to opposition from the previous City Council and threats made against the owner and his family, according to the mayor's office.

The site at 2633 Minnehaha Avenue is also the cheapest to purchase and quickest to occupy compared to any other site that has been on the table, officials said, with costs estimated to be $10 million to purchase — plus an additional $4 million to build out — totaling $14 million.

The build-out is estimated to take nine months, allowing the city to move in within a year of site control.