Allow us to introduce ourselves
Redesign, Inc. is a nonprofit community development corporation dedicated to building economic justice in collaboration with the community by developing and sustaining affordable housing and commercial real estate, investing in entrepreneurs, and creating living wage jobs.
We do this work in three programmatic areas:
- Planning & Development
- Small Business Growth
- Property & Asset Management
We work specifically in the five neighborhoods of Greater Longfellow in South Minneapolis: Cooper, Hiawatha, Howe, Longfellow, and Seward.
We offer a comprehensive range of services to help small local businesses thrive including business plan writing, marketing and website support, accounting, financial counseling, small business loans, and assistance navigating the City’s licensing and permitting processes.
Do you have a favorite small business in the neighborhood that could use our support? Let them know we’re here for them!
Business Highlight: A Bar of Their Own
The second of its kind in the entire country, an all-women’s sports bar opened to a line around the block last month. We were proud to be a part of their story through their Storefront Improvement grant. Visit this new neighborhood treasure for yourself!
The Coliseum Building is nearly finished! Mark your calendars to join us for the Grand Opening as part of the Soul of the Southside Festival on Juneteenth!
Get Excited
When the building opens in June, visitors can look forward to drinks and food with a New Orleans flair at a new ground-floor full-service bar and restaurant from the team that brought you Du Nord Social Spirits and can connect with many other BIPOC-owned small businesses. The Coliseum Building will also reclaim its roots as a gathering space for the community with a new event center.
Interested in leasing office space or renting the event center? Contact Us
A Bit of Backstory
Built in 1917, The Historic Coliseum Building has long served as a beacon for local businesses and BIPOC entrepreneurs. After sustaining damage in the civil unrest that occurred in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police, the building’s recent redevelopment stands as a radiant example of healing and renewal, designed both by and for BIPOC-owned businesses.
The goal of this project is to create generational wealth for BIPOC small business owners through the equitable redevelopment of a site that bears the scars of the community’s pain. In partnership with three BIPOC small businesses / owners – Alicia Belton, Janice Downing, and Shanelle Montana – the historic building has been brought back to life, ensuring long-term affordability for up to 30 BIPOC and local entrepreneurs/small businesses.
See it for yourself!
As part of Doors Open Minneapolis (May 18-19), you can visit the Historic Coliseum building along with 100+ other incredible architectural gems in our lovely city. Check out the Longfellow/Seward Scavenger Hunt!
Did you know?
The very first transit to reach Longfellow came in 1886, with horse-drawn streetcars or “horsecars” running south along 27th Ave to Lake Street. This line was later electrified.
With electric streetcars being added along Lake Street in 1905, the intersection of Lake & 27th became the defacto “downtown” of the Longfellow area – a significant reason why the Coliseum Building was constructed at this corner in 1917.
EVENT:
Weaving Together the Past, Present, and Future of 2511 E. Franklin
April 27, 2024 | 12:30-3:30 P.M. | Matthews Recreation Center
Augsburg University recently announced an agreement to sell the property to the Somali Museum of Minnesota to develop a permanent museum facility and cultural center on the former Bethany Lutheran Church site at 2511 E. Franklin Ave.
Neighbors and community members are invited to attend a community gathering about the past, present, and future of 2511 East Franklin Avenue. You will be invited to learn about the Somali Museum and their vision for the site and to share your stories about this site’s history and place in Seward.
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