The Honorable Hodan Hassan
Chair, Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee
Minnesota House of Representatives
597 State Office Building
Saint Paul, MN 55155
Dear Representative Hassan:
We, the undersigned business owners, nonprofit leaders, and residents are writing to express our full support for the Next Level MSP legislative proposal and the critically needed investments it would make in supporting the vibrancy of Minneapolis and St Paul’s economic and cultural business districts.
The civil unrest that unfolded following the murder of George Floyd has had a lasting effect and resulted in several hundreds of millions of dollars in damage across the Twin Cities. More than 1,500 businesses and nonprofits were fully or partially destroyed, many of them owned by immigrants, low-income entrepreneurs, and families who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC).
Despite this profound loss, our communities have come together and worked tirelessly to rebuild, leveraging grants, forgivable loans, technical assistance, and other financial support made possible by private fundraising, corporate donations, and nonprofits. But much remains to be done, and we believe the State of Minnesota has a critical role to play.
This $400 million investment would provide the necessary funding to implement local economic development programs and would begin to make a significant intergenerational impact on historically diverse economic and cultural business districts, including Lake Street, West Broadway, 38th Street, and Chicago Avenue, and Saint Paul's Midway neighborhood. We believe the Next Level MSP proposal would be truly transformational. It would lead the Twin Cities’ continued recovery, supporting critical recovery tools like property acquisition, building preservation, strengthening business operations, business and safety improvements, area beautification, new development, and more.
As our communities continue to rebuild and recover from civil unrest, historic divestment, and institutional barriers, the Next Level MSP proposal would make a powerful impact. We urge you and your colleagues to invest in our region’s economic growth and future success by passing this legislation.
Thank you for your consideration.