Update on fire safety for Ward 2 & Ward 6

Note: This post has been updated to reflect the changes to June 1 from June 7. After further discussion with Jewish and Muslim neighbors about the exact timing of holidays with the lunar calendar and observations, and the respective practice of holidays, June 1 was preferred.

The City Council Endorsing Conventions for Ward 2 and Ward 6 are being rescheduled to Sunday, June 1, 2025, to help reserve locations that meet fire code capacity for registered delegates and alternates. Read more to learn the series of decisions made and how local DFL volunteers are accommodating record caucus turnout.

The Ward 2 Convention was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 3, at Pratt Elementary School in Southeast Minneapolis. After the caucus at Pratt on April 8, both the Madore and Wonsley campaigns agreed that Pratt was not a suitable location for the convention. The Ward 2 Committee looked into locations at the University of Minnesota, which were not available for Saturday, May 3. The Ward 2 Committee and Chair Conrad Lange Zbikowski engaged the Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board for Van Cleve Park, but Van Cleve Park staff shared that the fire code capacity of the gym, the largest space, was only 284 with tables and chairs for an occupancy load factor. There are approximately 400 delegates and a number of alternates given the record caucus turnout, so Van Cleve was no longer an option.

The Ward 2 Committee had chosen May 3 to avoid a number of University of Minnesota commencement ceremonies. To better prepare for the convention and secure a University of Minnesota location, the Committee, including student representation, unanimously recommended to the Chair to reschedule the Ward 2 Convention to Sunday, June 1, 2025. The Committee and the Chair will reserve a University of Minnesota event space on Monday, April 21, and then the Ward 2 Credentials Committee will finalize a mailing list of delegates and alternates to notice the new time and location.

The Ward 6 Convention was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 26. The location was reserved through Minneapolis Public Schools under Seward Montessori School. This facility is also known as the Matthews Park Recreation Center. The reservation for the school was not communicated by the school to the park staff and currently no reservation is booked for Saturday, April 26. More consequently, the gym at Matthews Park / Sewark Montessori is also small and does not have a fire code capacity for 400 delegates and a number of alternates.

The Ward 6 Committee, including student representation, and supporting DFL volunteers agreed that the best course of action to provide a more safe and better experience for local Ward 6 DFL neighbors was to also reschedule and find a larger venue for Sunday, June 1, 2025, to accommodate the record caucus turnout. Ward 6 had challenges with fire code capacity in 2017 and the Ward 6 Committee unanimously supports a new location with more time to find a better venue. The Committee and the Chair will reserve a new event space on Monday, April 21, and then the Ward 6 Credentials Committee will finalize a mailing list of delegates and alternates to notice the new time and location.

Chair Conrad Lange Zbikowski issued the following statement.

“DFL Caucus Night this year had the highest turnout since 2016 in Minneapolis. We are incredibly excited to host our Ward and City Conventions to lift up the voices of DFL neighbors in our local democracy. Safety is always a top priority, and our local DFL volunteers have been working hard to include more neighbors, including students like them, while also finding venues that meet real needs. This year has been a revelation of the state of public facilities across Minneapolis, and we support increasing investment in our public schools, libraries, and park recreation centers.”