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Project partners are working closely with a wide variety of community partners, businesses, cities, and other stakeholder groups to involve as many voices as possible in the planning and decision-making process that represent the diversity of the communities along the route.
Project partners recognize that you are the experts on your community, and that your involvement in project planning and decision-making is the only way to deliver a light rail project that meets your community’s needs.
Community engagement cohort
To ensure voices from all backgrounds are involved in decisions, Hennepin County is contracting with community and cultural organizations that serve corridor residents and stakeholders. This community engagement cohort works closely with project staff and each other to engage residents and businesses, especially those historically left out of major infrastructure planning processes.
Many different organizations have and will be a part of the cohort depending on their interest and current project needs. Currently, organizations participating in the community engagement cohort include:
A Mother's Love
Asian Media Access Inc.
Encouraging Leaders
Juxtaposition Arts
Lao Assistance Center of MN
Liberian Business Association
Pueblos de Lucha y Esperanza
Northside Economic Opportunity Network
West Broadway Coalition
In addition to the Community Engagement Cohort, the Metropolitan Council convenes both business and community advisory committees who make recommendations to the Corridor Management Committee, which is made up of corridor elected officials and community leaders.
Let us know who else we should be talking to below.
Project partners are working closely with a wide variety of community partners, businesses, cities, and other stakeholder groups to involve as many voices as possible in the planning and decision-making process that represent the diversity of the communities along the route.
Project partners recognize that you are the experts on your community, and that your involvement in project planning and decision-making is the only way to deliver a light rail project that meets your community’s needs.
Community engagement cohort
To ensure voices from all backgrounds are involved in decisions, Hennepin County is contracting with community and cultural organizations that serve corridor residents and stakeholders. This community engagement cohort works closely with project staff and each other to engage residents and businesses, especially those historically left out of major infrastructure planning processes.
Many different organizations have and will be a part of the cohort depending on their interest and current project needs. Currently, organizations participating in the community engagement cohort include:
A Mother's Love
Asian Media Access Inc.
Encouraging Leaders
Juxtaposition Arts
Lao Assistance Center of MN
Liberian Business Association
Pueblos de Lucha y Esperanza
Northside Economic Opportunity Network
West Broadway Coalition
In addition to the Community Engagement Cohort, the Metropolitan Council convenes both business and community advisory committees who make recommendations to the Corridor Management Committee, which is made up of corridor elected officials and community leaders.
Let us know who else we should be talking to below.
The Blue Line Extension project is co-lead by Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council. All major final decisions on the project are ultimately approved by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and the Metropolitan Council. These decisions are informed by a variety of advisory groups described below.
Metropolitan Council advisory groups
Corridor Management Committee (CMC)
Purpose: Advises the Metropolitan Council on design and construction of the proposed light rail line.
Membership: Elected representatives and policymakers from Hennepin County, Met Council, and corridor cities, along with representatives from other community and stakeholder organizations and the business and community advisory committee
Purpose: Provides policymaker direction to the Hennepin County Bottineau Community Works program, which leads planning with corridor cities to maximize community and economic development benefits and opportunities in the light rail corridor
Membership: Elected officials and policymakers from Hennepin County, Metropolitan Council, and corridor cities
Contact: Kerri Pearce Ruch, Bottineau Community Works program coordinator, kerri.pearceruch@hennepin.us, 612-348-3080
Purpose: Provide Hennepin County, Metropolitan Council, corridor cities and other agency and community partners with action-oriented recommendations for strategies and policies to prevent displacement, promote equitable development, and create community wealth-building opportunities
Membership: Representatives from agencies, cities, communities, and other stakeholder groups
Contact: TBD
Community Engagement Cohort
Purpose: Support project outreach and engagement activities by meaningfully engaging stakeholders from diverse communities to co-create project solutions that reduce disparities
Membership: 14 community and cultural organizations representing geographic and cultural groups from throughout the corridor
