Mpls Downtown Improvement District

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- For decades, Nicollet Mall has been the main drag for downtown Minneapolis.

But now, the sidewalks are in serious need of attention and the popular area is about to get a major makeover.

The mall as it currently looks was created in the early 90s and over time concrete has cracked and crumbled.

This week, construction crews started to replace part of the sidewalk.

Both sides of Nicollet from Washington to 3rd Street and the east side of Nicollet from 3rd to 4th will be under construction through August. This project is a kind of launching pad for a bigger plan to totally revamp and reconstruct Nicollet Mall.

"Nicollet Mall has really been a highlight of people's downtown and region for so long. We know it's going to continue to play that active role as our main street so what does that mean," said Sarah Harris with the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District.

In the coming months, the Downtown Improvement District, the Downtown Council, the city, businesses and residents will start to put their heads together in a more formal public planning process to come up with ideas for Nicollet mall, what it should look like down the road and how the mall should be used.

The planning process is still in its very early stages. There are no specific ideas yet and no answers about who will pay for it all.

The Downtown Improvement District is actually hosting a poetry contest this summer to get peoples' creative juices flowing.