The Minneapolis Convention Center fully reopened Friday, ending 14 months of limited activity due to COVID-19 and providing another spark downtown as workers begin to return to offices and entrepreneurs take a chance on new business.
The convention center, a huge driver of business for downtown restaurants, hotels and retailers, is open to gatherings with no capacity and social distancing limits, under a recent executive order from Gov. Tim Walz.
"Although COVID-19 severely limited in-person relationship-building over the past year, we're excited to welcome guests back to our venue and city and are fully prepared to ensure that all events we host are safe and successful," Jeff Johnson, the center's executive director, said in a statement.
The center next weekend will host the United States Strongman Nationals and GeekCraft Expo. Usage is scheduled to accelerate through the summer, leading up to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association Marketplace on Aug. 5 to 8.
The reopening of the convention center management is a milestone because of the thousands of visiting conventioneers it routinely adds to the mix of downtown residents and commuting office workers.
Sabrina Jones, who a few weeks ago moved her Body Love Products business into the IDS Center's skyway retail level, is pleased by what she's seeing. The business is part of the Sistah Co-op she co-founded that provides collaborative space for Black women and other people of color in one of the highest-profile retail locations in the city.
"A month in, we are encouraged," Jones said. " As folks are coming back to work, they notice the shop being open and we've already made quite a few customers from the banks and restaurants and offices in IDS and other buildings. We've already got repeat clients. That make us feel good."
The Downtown Council estimates that downtown office worker-occupancy has risen from about 15% several weeks ago to around 25%. Employers, according to surveys, expect something around a third of workers to be back on board this summer and 50%-plus by fall.