Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
•••
Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are rebounding from the pandemic downturn, the mayors of the two cities said in recent State of the City addresses.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter outlined noteworthy progress in their cities. Significant advances have been made in adding and rehabbing much-needed housing, including affordable housing.
In St. Paul, Carter also cited the rebirth of the former Ford plant as the Highland Bridge project — a truly impressive mixed-use development still under construction.
In Minneapolis, Frey urged workers to come back downtown but also focused on the transformation of commercial buildings to residential space and new retail approaches.
On the public safety front, the mayors rightly touted reductions in some crime categories compared with recent high levels. Frey told an editorial writer that Minneapolis homicides are down 43% from the same period in 2022, carjackings are down 41% and robberies are down 24%. And Minneapolis Police Officers officers have recovered more than 300 guns from the streets — a record pace.
Carter reported positive results from the Office of Neighborhood Safety's violence intervention efforts. In the past year, more than 130 people were connected to "new, safer housing, city or county support resources, and community-based organizations," he said. That work, he said during his speech, led to nearly 120 gun seizures. And as of February gunshot injuries were down by half and are on pace for a 43% decrease for the entire year, compared to 2022.
