Minneapolis businesses in George Floyd Square sue city, mayor for $30M

In Minneapolis, five business owners near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue are suing the City of Minneapolis and Mayor Jacob Frey for $30 million. The businesses claim that the city’s actions of closing the intersection, which is the site of George Floyd’s murder, with large concrete barricades have negatively impacted their revenue, real estate values and reputations, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

The lawsuit argues that the barriers, which were put in place following George Floyd’s murder, blocked pedestrian access to the area. The business owners also contend that crime has surged in the area, now known as ‘George Floyd Square,’ because it became a “no-go zone” for police after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd in May 2020 outside of the Cup Foods corner store.

Among the plaintiffs in the case are the owners of Cup Foods.

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The area, which became a public memorial to Floyd, is described on the City of Minneapolis website as “a gathering place for people to honor and remember” Floyd. The site also notes that it “pays tribute to George Floyd’s life and has become a powerful symbol for conveying the importance of Black lives in Minneapolis.”

The business owners previously filed a lawsuit in 2023 seeking $1.5 million in damages, but that case was dismissed.

Michael Healey, the attorney representing the business owners, told the Star Tribune that there are two possible outcomes for the case. Either the business owners reach a settlement and retain their property, or the city initiates eminent domain proceedings and compensates the owners for their property.

A spokesperson for the City of Minneapolis told the Star Tribune it could not comment on pending litigation but acknowledged that the city “understands the challenges that residents and businesses have confronted in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.”