FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MINNEAPOLIS, MN—MAY 29, 2025—North Minneapolis has always been the heart of the city—home to visionaries, artists, builders, and organizers. But on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the community will unveil Northside Forward: a community-authored vision that lays out what it will take—$1.5 billion in targeted investment over 10 years.
Developed under the visionary leadership of Adair Mosley and advanced through deep community engagement and bold policy design by The Forum’s Policy Entrepreneur Fellows—Samuel Benda and Busisiwe Ledibane—Northside Forward is both practical and radical. It is a roadmap with measurable steps and moral clarity. The Forum worked in collaboration with the Cities and Urban Design team at Gensler.
What began as a deep community conversation—across generations and neighborhoods, between entrepreneurs and elders, organizers and artists—has transformed into a tangible, strategic, and community-authored development plan. Northside Forward is the first of its kind in Minneapolis: a people-powered roadmap for revitalization built not from the top down, but from the block up.
“This is what it looks like when a community claims its agency—and aligns its brilliance around a shared vision,” says Gensler’s Cities Sector Leader, Principal, Andre Brumfield. “This is a plan shaped by the people who live in Northside—not written behind closed doors or imposed from outside. It was born from deep listening, intergenerational engagement, and an unshakable belief in the brilliance and power of community.”
What Northside Forward Delivers
Backed by extensive community engagement and cross-sector collaboration, Northside Forward lays out a comprehensive 10-year plan centered around six transformational pillars, 25 strategic priorities, and 73 action steps:
- Thriving Corridors & Nodes—Revitalizing West Broadway, Penn, and Plymouth as engines of culture and commerce
- Cradle-to-Career Learning—Building lifelong education and entrepreneurship pathways
- New Industries & Jobs—Anchoring North Minneapolis in the next generation of tech, clean energy, and design
- Diverse Housing Options—Creating affordable, legacy-rooted, and ownership-focused housing
- Health, Wellness & Safety—Expanding access to holistic care, recreation, and reimagined public safety
- Engaged & Accountable Leadership—Empowering civic power and community-driven governance
Together, these pillars represent more than ideas—they’re strategic directives with accountability, equity, and Black prosperity at the center.
The Scale of Impact
- $1.5 billion in projected investment across public and private sectors
- Represents 55,600+ residents, with the city’s highest concentration of Black, youth, and multigenerational households
- Over 25 partner organizations engaged—from nonprofit coalitions and cultural hubs to neighborhood associations and city agencies
- Aligns with major regional projects like the Blue Line Extension, shaping the next era of equitable transit and growth
Throughout the planning process, Northside Forward convened critical voices across sectors—bringing together neighborhood associations, community-based organizations, Black-led nonprofits, faith leaders, educators, and public partners who share a commitment to equitable, community-rooted development.
“This is what it looks like when the people most impacted are centered from the beginning,” Adair Mosley added. “This is what it looks like when we honor our past, trust our people, and commit to a future grounded in justice, joy, and self-determination.”
Event Details
Location: Capri Theater
5:30 PM – Cocktail Reception
6:00 PM – Program Start
“Northside Forward: A Celebration of Power, People, Place, and Possibility” will feature:
- The official release of the Northside Forward Plan
- A premiere screening of a short film sharing the community’s voice
- A live conversation with leaders from peer cities who’ve successfully led equitable revitalization
- Art, food, and music grounded in Northside culture and joy
About Northside Forward
Northside Forward is a 10-year, community-authored revitalization plan designed to influence $1.5 billion in equitable investment across North Minneapolis. Powered by the African American Leadership Forum and shaped by hundreds of residents, artists, youth, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders, it is a living strategy for building Black prosperity, housing and spatial justice, educational opportunity, and neighborhood transformation.
For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
Dara Beevas
dara@aalftc.org