Open-air drug market near south Minneapolis childcare center causes safety concerns

Employees at a south Minneapolis childcare center said they are increasingly concerned about safety issues, as an open-air drug market grows nearby under the Cedar Avenue and Highway 55 overpass.

Staff at Baby's Space childcare, which has served the neighborhood for more than 25 years, said things have gotten especially bad over the past month.

Yolanda Reyes is an administrative assistant at Baby's Space, which is just blocks away from the encampment.

"The encampment was moving and then the cops would clear it out, and they'd wait a few hours and they were right back," said Reyes.

Staff said a fence installed to discourage people from gathering at the encampment has been ineffective. A WCCO camera captured an opening in the fence that allowed people to continue gathering on the sidewalk.

Drug use has become more visible and has moved right outside the childcare center's front door, Reyes said.

"Open use, just freely using their drugs. I had to go out the front door and say, 'Hey, this is a childcare center,'" she said.

The concerns have affected daily activities at the facility. Debbie Lund, executive director for Baby's Space, said staff worry about what children could encounter while playing outside. She said Minneapolis police now stand watch by their playground.

"It's hard for us to play outside because we're not sure what the kids are going to be exposed to," said Lund.

The concerns have drawn the attention of city leaders. On Tuesday, Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez sent an email to city officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey and Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, requesting immediate support for unhoused residents in the area.

A city spokesperson said the fencing is temporary to allow time for a better long-term solution, in collaboration with the county, Metro Transit, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, who all have facilities in the area. 

In the meantime, the city said they are working to help people move from unsheltered homelessness into stable housing. 

Reyes and Lund emphasized that they sympathize with people living in the encampment who are struggling with addiction.

"It's so hard because our hearts go out to everybody, and yet we really need to keep our children safe," said Lund.

Gathering cleared day after WCCO coverage

But the employees said they noticed a significant change on Wednesday: The crowds under the overpass were mostly gone.

Also on Wednesday, several Minneapolis and Metro Transit police officers were spotted near the childcare center. While reporting at the scene, WCCO observed one person in handcuffs.

"We saw the police have been by twice today, which is really great, and I think it does add to the factor that we're not seeing a lot of activity," said Lund. "That really makes me feel happy because it feels safer. It feels like our old center."

In a statement, a city spokesperson said Minneapolis recently increased enforcement efforts in the area.

"Earlier this week, the City increased enforcement, patrols, and cameras around open-air drug markets to monitor criminal activity," the statement said.

Reyes and Lund said they didn't notice a difference until after WCCO's coverage on Tuesday.

"However, we got this cleared out today... It's really nice," said Lund.

"I wish luck for the people out on the streets," said Reyes. "I hope that they can get the services that will help them better their lives."