Metro Transit to expand bus service to Marshall St.
On September 9, Irene Fernando, District 2 and Hennepin County Board Chair, announced a coming expansion to the 852 bus route. “This expanded route will finally connect the thousands of Northeast Minneapolis riverfront residents to stronger and more reliable transit options,” she wrote. “Thank you to the Metropolitan Council and to Metro Transit for this commitment to expanded transit service, this is a win for equity, opportunity, and increased connectivity.”
At present, Route 852 goes from downtown Minneapolis to Anoka County, following the Mississippi river northwest and southeast. Approximately half of its northbound section — from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Center — cuts through North Minneapolis. The new route will cross the Mississippi much closer to downtown; as a result, the bus will head through Northeast Minneapolis instead, going along the redesigned Marshall Street NE. This expansion is part of a broader reconstruction effort coming to the road, which is currently slated to start in 2028.
Congrats, students
Cooper van Buren, of St. Anthony Village, was recently named to Carleton College’s Dean’s List for academic excellence.
Ladonna Thomas and Alayna DeValk, both from Minneapolis, were named to Southern New Hampshire University’s Summer 2025 President’s list. Emily McCarvel, from Columbia Heights, was named to the same university’s Dean’s List.
Belen Petrie, from St. Anthony Village, earned the Mark of Excellence Scholarship from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Latté Da accepting grant applications
Theater Latté Da, a musical-theater organization in Northeast Minneapolis, 345 13th Ave. NE, recently announced the NEXT Generation Commission. The grant is “an opportunity that supports the creation and development of new musical theater projects by individual artists or teams” including women or racial minorities. The recipients of the grant, which totals to $20,000, will receive “creative and developmental support over an 18-month period, including two developmental workshops totaling a minimum of 50 hours.”
Artists interested in applying for the NEXT Generation Commission should visit www.latteda.org/next-generation-commission. The application deadline is October 15, 2025.
Dragonfly at Sullivan Lake Park. (Northeaster file, Karen Kraco)
Sullivan Lake Park gets a new fitness court
On September 8, the City of Columbia Heights and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sullivan Lake Park, 721 51st Ave. NE, to open The Fitness Court® Studio, a free outdoor workout space.
The City officials said the new fitness court is “designed to provide a full-body workout” and that it “adds a second outdoor wellness classroom…” In addition to the new court, “other park improvements will be made, including the replacement of the existing play set.” The project is projected to be completed in 2026.
The new court was funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the National Fitness Campaign.
Sen. Clark appointed to gun violence prevention group
On September 12, Senator Doron Clark, who represents Minneapolis’s District 60, announced his appointment to the state Senate’s Working Group on Gun Violence Prevention.
“Minnesotans are calling for action in the wake of the recent tragedies in our state,” Clark said. “It’s our job as elected officials to hear that call and answer it. I look forward to hearing the various proposals, and working with my colleagues to create safer communities for all Minnesotans.”
On September 15, the group, which includes 11 Senators from across the state, met to hear proposals on gun violence prevention. The proposals, which can be read at https://bit.ly/PreventionProposals, include bills to ban “possession of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons”; to “require serial numbers” for more guns; to increase the “criminal penalty for impersonating a peace officer”; to encourage gun owners to store firearms in safer manners; and more.