Minneapolis shuts down Peavey Plaza for the day

Soon before they are slated to demolish Peavey Plaza, the city has shut down the space to clean up the mess that has accompanied a concentration of homelessness there.

The Minneapolis Police Department "temporarily closed" the plaza Tuesday for "cleaning and maintenance" after observing that homeless people had replaced the Occupy protestors who were living there. Sgt. Gary Nelson said that they plan to open it later on Tuesday, once cleaning is complete.

The plaza had a sleepy vibe on Tuesday afternoon. Several office workers sat on stairs around the perimeter, relaxing and eating lunch, while Downtown Improvement District workers power sprayed the concrete. No signs or barriers were erected to signal the plaza's temporary closure.

Nelson swiped through several photos on his phone of the mess police encountered Tuesday morning. People could be seen sleeping amid piles of trash and blankets. A shelter has been arranged at the First Covenant Church on 7th Street to accommodate the homeless inhabitants.

The department says that service calls to Peavey Plaza have increased by 260 percent over last year; arrests have risen 300 percent. Most were for low-level crimes, though some involved sexual conduct, assault, and robberies.

The temporary closure follows an unsuccesful push this spring to close the plaza at night altogether. At the time, Council President Barb Johnson said the problems in Peavey were "diminishing"

"It seems to me that at this point we are dealing with a relatively diminishing problem," Johnson said in May. "And I remain extremely concerned, however, about the use of police resources when I represent a community that is challenged with public safety issues.

The city is simulataneously battling preservationists who have sued to stop the demolition.

"The people now living in Peavey Plaza are some of our most vulnerable people in our community," said a police department release. "Peavey Plaza is no longer an OCCUPYMN issue but rather a problem with increasing homelessness and the need for more permanent housing."