Support East Phillips and Little Earth in Their Fight to Defend the Depot

submitted by gilmerje@augsburg.edu

Support East Phillips and Little Earth in their fight to Defend the Depot!

In The South Minneapolis neighborhood of East Phillips, on Dakota territory, there is a building known as the “Roof Depot.” Community members, and especially those living at the Little Earth housing complex, want to turn it into a community center and indoor farm, with rooftop solar. The city of Minneapolis wants to demolish it, to build a highly polluting truck yard and diesel fueling station.

A court has issued a 2-week injunction (temporary restraining order) against the demolition, which was scheduled to begin on February 28th. Residents from Little Earth and East Phillips successfully testified at the Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee on March 2nd. This brings them one step closer to community-owned green infrastructure in a neighborhood that has long been heavily polluted and underfunded by the city. Residents are seeking $100 million in state funding to buy the Roof Depot site from the city, and make a meaningful investment in the neighborhood.

The bill moves to the Capital Investment committee next, where they will advocate for funding to be increased from $20 to $100 million. Then the bill needs to pass the House and Senate. There are many steps to take before we can secure this funding, so stay tuned for how to support and keep up the pressure, visit their website and follow them on Instagram @eastphillipsurbanfarm and @defendthedepot for updates!

To contribute to their work go to http://tinyurl.com/depotfund

To contribute to their work go to:http://tinyurl.com/depotfund