'Substantially complete' by November 2017? Here's what those Nicollet Mall ads really mean

Mary Tyler Moore returned to Nicollet Mall this spring — in an ad campaign in which she throws not a beret, but a construction helmet — to help locals make peace with the final months of construction along the downtown Minneapolis corridor.

The $50 million rebuilding project is on track to finish on budget by the end of November, city officials say. But a line in the ads dotting Nicollet Mall storefronts and construction barriers may give passersby pause: "Substantially complete November 2017."

Substantially complete? Here's what it means (and why you shouldn't worry): "To the general public, it will look and feel complete in November," said Leah Wong, vice president of external relations for the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District.

There may be small cosmetic changes, including tree planting, next spring. So even though Nicollet Mall is expected to be up and running by the end of November, it won't be totally done. In other words, it will be "substantially complete."

The ad campaign, by local agency GdB, and the spots where it's being displayed were mostly donated, Wong said. Seven designs will be unveiled in coming months.