Last Halloween, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey optimistically pledged, “Hennepin Avenue is back and better than ever." But anyone walking that street into Uptown knows that is not the case.
“The level of open drug use, visible addiction, and daily disorder is easier to find than ever," Kevin Norman, a South Uptown resident wrote to city leaders on Nov. 26, 2025.
The drug use often takes place at major intersections and transit stations and is compounded by homelessness and trash.
“I walk this corridor often, and it’s heartbreaking for the people who are struggling and discouraging for the residents, families, and businesses who depend on this street being safe and welcoming,” Norman said.
Uptown businesses and other organizations are also impacted by this, complaining the city is too slow to respond to their pleas for help.
Calls for the city's Behavioral Crisis Response Team to help a drug user in crisis is often too late, Hilary Otey, a co-founder and general manager of Queermunity, told Southwest Voices.
Police response times are not timely either, according to Mike Savage, a security guard at the Chase Bank at Seven Points Mall.
"I have only had police arrive for one call,” Savage said. “I even called about issues with a violent person who has made several violent death threats who was outside our building doing drugs and blocking our entrances and still haven't had a single officer show up."
Southwest Voices has reached out to the City of Minneapolis and area Councilmembers Aisha Chughtai and Elizabeth Shaffer and are still waiting for comment. We will be covering this topic in greater detail in our March print edition.
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