GLOBAL MARKET

It was in December 2003 when a group of Latino business owners requested a meeting with Minneapolis city officials to learn more about a rumor that was making them nervous.

The rumor they were concerned about was a potential forty thousand square feet “Big Box” Latino grocery store planned for the main floor of the former Sears tower building. Located on prime real estate at the corner of Lake and Chicago,  This re-development project, was moving rapidly.   A National retailer was planning on opening, and would be attempting to capture the $300 million in Latino buying power in their community.

At a meeting, information was received from city councilman Robert Liligren and the former MCDA official in charge of the property and the information confirmed the rumors.  Latino business owners were listening. 

The local Latino business community had cause for concern.   They had created and sustained, over the last 10 years and against all odds, a newly established but thriving small business community in the area of South Minneapolis.  This project had the potential to wreck havoc by forcing them to try and compete with this market giant.   The residents and business owners in this community had fought back against crime and urban decay and had brought back a sense of community to the area, which included the Lake Street businesses.

 The Latino business community requested an opportunity to be part of any plans to re-develop this important parcel of land in the middle of their community.  As a resul,t they instructed their organization, the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), to help them organize and seek the support of all the other organizations and entities that were involved with the project.

 A development team was formed by Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), the Neighborhood Development center (NDC), the African Development Center (ADC), and the Phillips Cultural Wellness Center (PCWC) to work on the Midtown Global Market project.  The project was invited to be part of the proposal of Ryan companies, which was selected as the developer of the overall project called the Midtown exchange.

After more than 3 years of hard work, the development team is proud to be part of this 18 million dollar community oriented project called the Midtown Global Market. A true celebration of what the city of Minneapolis is about: diversity, respect for culture, perseverance, and energy. All of these forces combined on Lake Street in our quest of the American dream…