Can Downtown Minneapolis Recover From Coronavirus Pandemic?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you've visited downtown Minneapolis recently, you've likely felt the lack of vitality and people.
Prior to the pandemic's lockdown, the perception of crime kept some folks away, but that pales when compared to the devastating impacts of COVID-19. And downtown could emerge from the pandemic looking significantly altered.
Before COVID-19 put life in lockdown, Dave's Downtown was a diner's gem.
"Sometimes it used to be like a mosh pit in here, so many customers coming in," Dave Barnier said.
Now, he and Sue Barnier strive to keep meals coming and workers employed, their 22 full-time staff now down to four.
"In March hundreds of people came in everyday to eat with us. Now we get maybe 10 that eat with us everyday, but still there are people coming in," Dave Barnier said.
Others aren't so lucky. Near Target Field, the popular 508 Bar and Restaurant but the latest to thrown in the towel.
The Downtown Council's Steve Cramer is braced for more.
"That will mean fewer restaurants, probably mean fewer regular daytime workers because remote work has been so successful for many companies," he said.
More than 270,000 people work and live downtown Minneapolis, but offices remain shuttered and 30 million annual visitors aren't filling shops, hotels and restaurants.
A lone benefit is less congestion for Hennepin Avenue's re-construction. Still, not all the human traffic will be returning.
"We don't have the streaming of Twins fans to the games, dont have the conventioneers, so it's been a total kind of dormant economy we've seen downtown because of COVID," Cramer said.
Slowly, the lunch counter customers should trickle back, and a growing residential base will demand more places to eat, shop, recreate and dine -- in time, bringing business back.
The council is releasing an updated scorecard sometime next week. It should present a clearer picture of the numbers of workers, businesses and services returning to downtown.
