In just a few months, we will mark five years since the murder of George Floyd. This anniversary, while an important moment of reflection, should also serve as a call to action. Come May, George Floyd Square — the area in and around the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue S. in Minneapolis — will look exactly as it did nearly five years prior. It’s time we move forward. Our position is simple: Delaying is not an option.

Over the past few years, the city of Minneapolis has done hundreds of hours of community engagement to hear from residents what they want the future of this site to look like. From dinner dialogues and focus groups to door-knocking and vision workshops, we’ve made sure the community is at the center of this process and that every voice is heard. The message we’ve heard has been loud and clear: It’s time to act, to move forward and to fulfill the promises we made to this community.

But despite the overwhelming support for change, the City Council is considering a course of action that would stall progress for years and ignore the community’s vision. The proposal for a street permanently closed to traffic in George Floyd Square not only contradicts the wishes of the residents and business owners who live and work in the surrounding area, it is also legally unfeasible. Under state law, if more than 50% of adjacent property owners oppose such a proposal, it cannot move forward. In this case, every single non-city property owner who responded to a recent survey objected to a pedestrian mall.

This raises two questions: First, why do so much community engagement if you don’t plan to listen to the community? And second, why advocate for a vision that, legally speaking, is impossible and would further delay progress?

Our Public Works Department has put forward a flexible-open street concept that has been developed through years of community engagement and thoughtful planning. This plan strikes a balance between honoring the space’s historical significance and addressing the practical needs of the community. It preserves access to the site for both transit and vehicles while still allowing the square to be closed to traffic for public events. It also includes crucial infrastructure upgrades, like green stormwater systems, new sidewalks and bike lanes, restored Metro Transit service, and the replacement of lead drinking water pipes.

This is the type of investment this neighborhood deserves. These changes represent progress — not just in terms of physical infrastructure, but in aligning the space with the values we aim to uphold: sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity.

We have the opportunity, right now, to make a real difference. If the City Council approves the flexible-open concept, we can begin construction in 2025, creating a more accessible, safer and inclusive space for all. If the council delays again, we will be left in limbo, a spot we have been in for far too long. We have all waited long enough for progress, and it’s time we deliver on our promises. Letting the intersection remain as it is, with no progress and no legitimate plan, only continues the cycle of uncertainty and frustration.

The future of George Floyd Square must reflect the justice, equity and progress we stand for as a city. Let’s stop stalling and create a space that honors those values, not with more words, but with real action. The time is now.

Jacob Frey is mayor of Minneapolis. Andrea Jenkins is a Minneapolis City Council member representing Ward 8. The subject of George Floyd Square is on the council agenda Thursday.