More than three years after Minneapolis' Third Precinct police station was ransacked and set ablaze during a riot over the in-custody police death George Floyd, a divided Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey have agreed replace it.
In an 8-5 vote Thursday morning, City Council members approved opening a new police station at 2633 Minnehaha Av., blocks away from the previous location, which remains cordoned off by razor wire, the Star Tribune reports.
"It's a big victory for our city, but also for the residents of the Third Precinct, who have been calling out for safety," Frey said after the vote, adding, "Obviously, we wanted it to be sooner."
The cost to buy the property — an existing building and parking lot — and turn it into a police station will be $14 million, and it would take a year to a year and a half to complete, city officials have estimated.
Beyond the basic police station, council members on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a resolution committing the city to ultimately create a "community safety center" on the site. Such a facility is envisioned to offer a host of city services beyond traditional policing, such as behavioral crisis units and mental health services — although no specific plans exist.
