Press Release: City of Minneapolis open to sell all of Roof Depot site to EPNI/EPIC

City of Minneapolis open to sell all of Roof Depot site to East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) and East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC), signaling a potential solution in ongoing environmental justice struggle

The historically-polluted East Phillips neighborhood has spent years advocating for an indoor urban farm and community hub within the vacant 230,000 square foot Roof Depot warehouse and are working within the State Legislature to obtain funds to purchase the Roof Depot site from the city of Minneapolis.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN. A meeting between the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis delegation of state legislators, and members of East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) on Wednesday, April 19, marks an important moment in a decade-long battle over the Roof Depot site. 

A group of East Phillips residents and supporters shared their case to renovate the existing Roof Depot site into a cooperatively owned community space to increase access to fresh food, housing, training, and cultural nourishment. The advocates behind this community plan have been fighting in opposition to the city’s plans of demolishing the Roof Depot site to expand a public works facility - which would bring additional pollution to the already heavily polluted area.

In the meeting, the city stated that it is willing to coordinate with and sell the site to EPNI and its fiscal sponsor, EPIC, for $16.7 million. 

Community leader in the East Phillips movement and American Indian Movement member Rachel Thunder stated, "In a positive turn of events, the City of Minneapolis has shared their willingness to sell the Roof Depot site to the East Phillips community. This is a win for the land back movement, for our community, and sets a national precedent for community driven initiatives in urban areas overcoming environmental racism. The power is with the people."

EPNI and its fiscal sponsor EPIC have worked with various state legislators to draw up legislation requesting $20 million in state funding to purchase and renovate the Roof Depot site. That funding still needs to be secured before EPNI could move ahead with purchasing the site from the city. 

The end of the current legislative session is rapidly approaching in May - as is EPNI’s court of appeals case against the city, which is currently halting demolition of the Roof Depot warehouse. Now, EPNI and its supporters are urgently advocating the $20 million request be included in Fue Lee’s house omnibus bill, as well as Sandra Pappas senate omnibus bill. Lee and Pappas are Capital Investment Committee chairs for the house and senate, respectively. Then, majority leadership will need to bring the whole omnibus bill to the floor for a vote. 

Please get in touch at media@epnifarm.org to learn more about this development and to be connected with sources.