MINNEAPOLIS — Construction at George Floyd Square, the Minneapolis intersection where George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, is expected to begin this summer as the city moves forward with plans to redesign the area.

Street and infrastructure improvements around the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue are scheduled to begin in June, with substantial completion expected in 2027, city officials said. The work marks a major step in a long-debated effort to reshape the site, which has become both a neighborhood hub and a global symbol of protest and remembrance.

The project will reconstruct about a half-mile of roadway as part of the city’s “38th & Chicago Re-envisioned” initiative. Work will take place on Chicago Avenue between 37th and 39th streets and on 38th Street between Park and 10th avenues.

City officials say the redesign aims to improve street infrastructure while preserving the intersection’s role as a gathering place and memorial site.

Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered at the intersection on May 25, 2020, after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in April 2021 and later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges.

In the years since Floyd’s killing, the intersection has evolved into what is now widely known as George Floyd Square. Community members transformed the area into an informal memorial filled with murals, signs, sculptures and tributes honoring Floyd and other victims of police violence. The site has drawn visitors from across the country and around the world.

City officials say community gathering space will remain available during construction, although locations may shift as work progresses. The city also says it is working with artists and community members to preserve, document and reinstall memorials and artwork that have become part of the square.

Planning for the redesign began in 2022 as the city launched a public engagement process aimed at shaping the future of the intersection. Officials said the process included meetings, listening sessions and discussions with residents, business owners and community groups.

The Minneapolis City Council approved a concept layout for the project in December 2025.

City leaders have described the redesign as an effort to balance transportation needs with the site’s historic and emotional significance. The intersection sits along neighborhood routes that once carried regular vehicle traffic, but since Floyd’s death much of the area has functioned primarily as a pedestrian space.

The project also includes a proposed development known as Peoples’ Way. The plan calls for a community-centered space near the intersection that could include gathering areas, programming and memorial elements connected to the history of the site.

The city is currently reviewing development proposals for Peoples’ Way. Officials say applications are being evaluated based on experience, financial qualifications, stewardship plans and community feedback. The mayor and the Minneapolis City Council will make the final decision on the developer and future owner of the project.

City officials say they plan to continue engaging with community members as the project moves into the construction phase.

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