Blue Line extension anti-displacement workgroup kicks off with Met Council and partners

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), in partnership with Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council, kicked off the Blue Line Extension Anti-Displacement Work Group process that will result in actionable recommendations to prevent displacement and maximize community benefits along the planned light-rail line that will connect the communities of North Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park to the regional transit network. 

The 26 recently selected members of the Anti-Displacement Work Group includes people who are residents and business owners in the area, people with lived experience of displacement and people from the philanthropic community and government agencies. 

“This is an exciting milestone for the Blue Line Extension Project, but also for our region and state. We’re setting a new standard for how government and community can work together to ensure major infrastructure investments truly benefit the communities they are intended to serve,” said Irene Fernando, Hennepin County District 2 commissioner and chair of the Regional Railroad Authority. “This group represents our diverse corridor communities with the broad range of experience and expertise needed to make this work successful. Together, we will ensure this transformational investment benefits existing corridor residents and reduces racial disparities.” 

CURA began seeking input on the development of the workgroup starting last fall. The application period opened in December and was promoted widely to corridor communities. More than 60 applicants were interviewed before final selections were made in February by a committee that included CURA and project staff, as well as corridor community and business representatives. 

“We were overwhelmed by the level of interest and quality of applications,” said C Terrence Anderson, CURA’s director of community-based research and project manager for the Anti-displacement Work Group. “I’m confident we’ve put together an exceptional group that represents corridor communities and who have the expertise, passion and commitment to accomplish something powerful. We are looking forward to this first meeting where the group will meet each other and set a foundation for the work that is to follow in the big year ahead of us.” 

In addition to monthly public meetings, the Anti-Displacement Work Group will host four day-long workshops between May 2022 and February 2023. Each workshop will focus on a single topic or activity: 

Lessons from the existing Blue and Green Line projects:

• Housing and cultural displacement; 
• Business displacement; and 
• Finalizing recommendations. 

CURA will lead these workshops and provide qualitative and quantitative research. The work group will develop final recommendations. Input and support from community, government, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations will inform both the workshops and final recommendations. All meetings and other resources related to this effort will be available online at MyBlueLineExt.org/anti-displacement.