Rebuilding Green on Lake Street in Minneapolis

As most things in 2020, the Metro Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) at the Great Plains Institute made our 13th Annual Resource and Networking Event virtual, minus the networking part. We rescheduled the event from April 30 to October 1, hoping we would be able to meet in person by the fall. Of course, that was not in the cards. We shifted the topic of the event from electrification to rebuilding efforts in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd while in police custody on May 25.

The Metro CERT event centered on the story of a business caught in the middle of shockwaves of destruction following Floyd’s killing—after months of challenges due to COVID-19—and a broader look at the role of clean energy in rebuilding and supporting businesses along Lake Street and beyond. We also highlighted two Metro CERT-funded seed grants with a focus on the Black community in North Minneapolis.

Du Nord Craft Spirits is located just two blocks from the third precinct that became to focal point of the nightly damage and destruction in the days after the killing of George Floyd. Shanelle Montana, co-owner with her husband Chris Montana, spoke to us about their attempts and challenges to pursue energy efficiency and solar in the building where they are tenants, what happened in the days around the unrest, and what their future plans hold.

Shanelle and her husband Chris opened the distillery in 2013 and had lofty goals about energy efficiency and renewable energy—especially solar since that is the industry Shanelle works in. Shanelle stated, “We were firm in the belief that businesses can have a positive impact on the community. A sustainable and socially conscious business is who we wanted to be. Full stop.” As they started to explore options, they realized how challenging that was for a small business start-up, especially as a tenant.

When COVID-19 hit the Twin Cities, Du Nord pivoted from making their gin, vodka, whiskey, and liqueurs, and began manufacturing much-needed sanitizer in their distillery. In the days after the killing of George Floyd they handed out sanitizer to the protesters. In the early morning of May 29 the distillery became another victim to arson. The building wasn’t destroyed; it was damaged more by water from the sprinkler system than the fire. Realizing the need in the community for baby formula, food, diapers, and other supplies, they cleaned and cleared space in their warehouse and created a pop-up donation center. “We gave our space to the community,” Shanelle shared. The need was great, as many in Minneapolis struggled to access food while stores were closed and buses were temporarily halted.

Longtime Metro CERT partner and friend Matt Kazinka, Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager at Lake Street Council, talked next about the struggles, progress, and gratitude from businesses along Lake Street. The organization’s own office was lost in the civil uprising.

Lake Street Council is a nonprofit that engages, serves, and advocates for the Lake Street business community in Minneapolis to ensure the vitality and prosperity of the commercial corridor. The six-mile corridor has about 2,000 businesses, the majority of which are owned by people of color. It is currently (and historically) a place for immigrant-owned businesses, including Ingebretsens—celebrating 100 years soon.

Lake Street Council launched the We Love Lake Street recovery fund hoping to raise $30,000 and within days had raised $5 million, then $10 million within weeks. At time of publishing they have granted 325 businesses and nonprofits along the corridor small grants for a total of $5 million and will continue the process to support the businesses.

Matt gave an overview of the impacted businesses:

• 85% employ 10 or fewer people
• 50% of owners live within Minneapolis city limits
• 82% of the businesses are owned by someone who identified as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) or as an immigrant
• 85% of them rented their space of operation
• 55% of the businesses were uninsured

Camp SEE Architecture, led by Alicia Belton, Principal Architect and Founder at Urban Design Perspectives, is a summer STE(A)M camp for young women of color, specifically middle school girls. The focus of the camp this year was “Climate Change” with an expanded definition to incorporate the current socio-economic conditions within our community toward accelerating climate justice. The campaigns could either reflect environmental stewardship or other broader community action for sustainable change. Due to COVID-19, the camp shifted to a weekly distance learning model with staff providing “Creative Energy Kits” that focused on designing for sustainability. In one of the sessions the campers enjoyed building a solar playhouse. Alicia and her colleagues will combine images and curriculum to do a video exhibit that will include some personal videos as well as finished projects.

We heard from Kristel Porter, Executive Director at MN Renewable NOW, an organization that familiarizes and educates the Twin Cities community about renewable energy by establishing relationships and building bridges around Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the world with a focus on the North and South Minneapolis Green Zones. They originally received Metro CERT Seed Grant funding for their Leadership Conference, which had to be postponed due to COVID-19. The conference was planned as a leadership training for high school juniors and seniors to understand the urgency to implement renewable energy into the energy grid, how renewable energy works, and ways they can participate in renewable energy now and advocate for renewable energy for their communities. Serendipitously, they were also working on a groundbreaking effort called Solstar to install 24 solar arrays on roofs in North. Kristel Porter described the inspiring project, as well as their Power North effort, and the commitment to hiring all Black staff and contractors living in North Minneapolis for the project.