1st Ave N Reconstruction Project

Project overview

A graphic shows the 1st Ave N study corridor, between 8th St and Washington Ave , in relation to its surrounding area, including the Mississippi River, Downtown, Target Field, and the North Loop.

The City of Minneapolis is starting the redesign process of 1st Ave N with community input to re-envision the iconic corridor before reconstruction in 2028.

What we've heard

Six key goals for the 1st Ave N future vision emerged across all the project input opportunities in the initial phase of public engagement.

  • Pedestrian Focus: The entertainment district benefits from amenities for people walking and rolling.
  • An Exciting Destination: Vibrancy, color, lighting, public art, and wayfinding can enhance visible neighborhood identity.
  • Neighborhood Amenities: More food & beverage options, kid-friendly play spaces, seating, and restrooms for residents, workers, and visitors are needed.
  • Access: People use multiple options to access 1st Ave N like walking, transit, driving, biking/pedicabs, and Uber/Lyft.
  • Nightlife & Event Operations: A flexible design is preferred to handle street closures at peak times and for other special events like Warehouse District Live.
  • Greening the Corridor: More natural features that fit a high volume pedestrian destination and maintenance plans are needed.

Timeline

We are early in a multi-phase engagement approach for 1st Ave N before reconstruction in 2028.

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What does 1st Ave N look like today?

These key insights from observations and community engagement will help plan the future of 1st Ave N.

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1st Ave N is easy to get to and well-connected to the rest of the city.

52% of people believe it's easy to get to 1st Ave N.

  • 1st Ave N is not only a downtown destination, but also a key link to other parts of the city.
  • 1st Ave N has great proximity to transit, but pedestrian connections to these stops could to be improved.

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Once you get to 1st Ave N, it can be uncomfortable and hard to navigate on foot or using a mobility-assist device.

  • Allocation of space at street level favors parked cars and drivers over people walking.
  • People are not satisfied with the pedestrian experience nor quality of the sidewalks provided along 1st Ave N.
  • A lack of clear wayfinding hinders access to all of the avenue's attractions and connections to nearby destinations.

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Events drive significant spikes in foot traffic.

Events on the corridor greatly impact how people travel — with over 500% more people walking and rolling than on a typical, non-event day.

  • Night events drive spikes in the number of people walking and rolling along 1st Ave N. People walking and rolling on the corridor make up 16% activity recorded on a typical day. This share increases during night events, where 563% more pedestrian crossings are seen.
  • Night events drive spikes in the number of people biking along 1st Ave N. People on bicycles and scooters make up about 2% of existing recorded activity on the corridor. On event nights, there are 50% more people crossing intersections on bikes and scooters.
  • Day events drive spikes in the number of vehicles along 1st Ave N. On a typical day, 83% of the people on the corridor are driving. While day events like Twins games drive a spike in vehicles on 1st Ave N, night events don’t see as much impact.

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People have a varied perception of safety on the street.

  • Among stakeholder focus groups and community members alike, safety was among the highest ranking aspirations for the street.
  • Although the avenue is well-lit overall, people want to see better lighting. People associate inadequate lighting with a perception of feeling unsafe. A lack of pedestrian-scale lighting may be contributing to these negative impressions, revealing an opportunity for improved lighting variety and integration.
  • Maintaining the perception of safety at night is a challenge for 1st Ave N businesses, especially around surface parking lots. Operators of venues along the avenue connected local safety concerns with the area’s surface parking lots that don’t have security at night and have been, anecdotally, tied to gun violence.

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A lack of basic comfort while moving and spending time on the street detracts from the overall experience.

  • A scarcity of public benches and commercial seating limits invitation to spend time on 1st Ave N.
  • Access to high-quality streetscape furnishings, including seating and trash bins, is a high priority for people who spend time on the avenue.
  • There is little greenery spread unevenly along the avenue — though people want to see more vegetation and trees along the streetscape.

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A lack of diverse activities along and around the avenue leads to a lack of vibrancy along the corridor.

  • People want to see more diverse offerings, including more local businesses, food and beverage options, everyday amenities, parks and play spaces.
  • There are spikes of activity during peak commuter hours and around evening events, but not much at other times of the day.
  • There are spikes of activity during peak commuter hours and around evening events, but not much at other times of the day.

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1st Ave N is a key destination for socializing, culture and entertainment.

74% of people visit 1st Ave N with partners, family and friends.

  • Nearby notable cultural and entertainment venues draw people to 1st Ave N.
  • The Target Center is a prime draw. 66% of Warehouse District visitors in the last 12 months were visiting Target Center.
  • People want to see the existing character of 1st Ave N reflected in the streetscape.

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Limited mixed-use development and high rates of ground-floor vacancy reduce levels of daytime activity.

  • The area around 1st Ave N is lagging behind other parts of downtown where the transition toward mixed-uses has resulted in more consistent levels of activity.
  • Today, storefronts along 1st Ave N lack everyday draws.

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The presence of inactive, single-use blocks and buildings discourages public life.

  • 48% of the facades along 1st Ave N are blank or inactive.
  • Why is this important? People are drawn to active ground floor edges. Research indicates humans need about 1000 simulations an hour to feel engaged. At average pedestrian speed, that’s 1 every 4 seconds or 1 every 24 feet. This math confirms why a great street feels the way it does — the width and rhythm of an articulate storefront is about every 24 feet. Active facades, experienced at eye-level, make us feel happy and safe, encouraging us to linger; blank facades do the opposite.

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Surface parking detracts from the experience of 1st Ave N by creating gaps in activity and visual intrigue.

  • Across 12 city blocks that line the 1st Ave N study area, more than 25% of the surface land area is dedicated to parked cars.
  • Large surface lots reduce the sense of vibrancy and perception of safety along the avenue.

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Today, the curb space on 1st Ave N is mostly used for metered parking.

Data shows that use varies greatly by time of day, and, on average, less than half of all parking spaces are in use.

  • Parking occupancy of all on-street and off-street spaces was highest on Thursday evening. Occupancy was also high on Thursday afternoon and Saturday evening, likely driven by nearby events.
  • On-street parking spaces are occupied at higher rates than off-street spaces (surface parking lots and parking ramps). This results in a larger supply of off-street parking spaces being left unoccupied.
  • Existing uses for curb space varies along 1st Ave N.

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Watch: Street Interviews at the first open house

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Watch: Street Interviews about what brought people to the corridor

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Watch: Street Interviews about their experience using the street

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Watch: Street Interviews about community input

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Watch: Street Interviews about their favorite memories

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Watch: Street Interviews about how safe they feel

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Watch: Street Interviews about preferred design features

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Vision

The following vision statement was developed through community engagement. It takes into account the  6 goals  that emerged from the first phase of engagement, which are outlined in different colors. Please share your thoughts on this vision statement in the survey at the end.

1st Ave N is a walkable, people-first street and vibrant destination. Its neighborhood amenities and highquality public realm foster social interaction, civic gathering, and community pride. 1st Ave N connects residents and visitors to downtown with an inviting, safe experience whether they’re passing through or spending time. It is the premier destination for nightlife and events of all sizes, where the rich artistic history of Minneapolis is visibly celebrated in a colorful and natural environment.

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Goal 1: Pedestrian Focus

What are your ideas to improve the walking and rolling experience on 1st Ave N? Examples might include:

  • wayfinding signage to area attractions
  • different pavement
  • wide pedestrian zone
  • lush tree canopy
  • enhanced lighting
  • early walk signals at intersections

Goal 2: Exciting Destination

How can 1st Ave N build on its iconic character to be a more exciting destination? Examples might include:

  • programming and events
  • enhanced lighting on historic buildings
  • historical/interactive plaques or public art showcasing the history of the Warehouse District
  • sidewalk café seating
  • gateway signage

Goal 3: Neighborhood Amenities

What are your ideas for increasing neighborhood amenities for residents around 1st Ave N? Examples might include:

  • public art
  • fixed seating areas
  • movable chairs
  • restrooms
  • accent/decorative lighting
  • accommodating diverse modes of transportation
  • sidewalk vendors

Goal 4: Access

How can access be improved for people who walk/roll, bike, use transit, scooter, drive, make deliveries, and use rideshare and pedicabs? Examples might include:

  • wayfinding signage to major destinations
  • clear and direct connections to bus and light-rail transit
  • separate zones for each transportation mode (i.e. geofenced rideshare zone)

Goal 5: Nightlife & Events

What are your ideas for improving nightlife and events on 1st Ave N? Examples might include:

  • free and low-cost family-friendly events
  • winter season celebrations
  • evening programming for all ages
  • string/artistic lighting
  • convenient rideshare pick-up
  • ample business sidewalk queuing space

Goal 6: Greening

What are the best ways to improve greening on 1st Ave N? Examples might include:

  • a lush tree canopy
  • flowering hanging plants
  • small pocket parks
  • low-maintenance plantings
  • planters
  • sustainable green infrastructure
  • plants that support biodiversity

Your input

The surveys are currently closed.

To see what we've heard so far, view the  Phase 1  and  Phase 2  engagement summaries and explore 1st Ave N and community comments by clicking on the map below.

Comments recieved through public engagement, 2024. Stantec.

Up Next: Concept Design

Check back soon for updates.

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If you wish to provide feedback, please contact the project team at  1stAvenueNReconstructionProject@minneapolismn.gov