A community anchor expands its reach
How Minneapolis American Indian Center’s renovated space has increased its impact
The Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC) in south Minneapolis has seen a significant increase in visitors and interest in its diverse array of programming since reopening after its major renovation and expansion project.
The center recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a fundraising gala. It’s one of the first and largest urban Native American community centers in the country. Before the expansion, the center served approximately 4,600 people through its programs each year. Since opening, that number has surged to 9,600 people.
“Overall, I’d say we’ve definitely seen a major increase in the number of participants in all of our programming since the renovation,” said Mary LaGarde, executive director of the MAIC and member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwa. “[The renovation project] has made a significant positive impact on the community. The building has a larger presence along Franklin Avenue – the American Indian Cultural Corridor – and is seen as a hub for community meetings and gatherings.”
The center reopened in the spring of 2024 after the completion of the two-year, $32.5 million renovation project. Hennepin County contributed a total of $1 million toward the renovation project through Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) and Community Investment Initiative (CII) programs. The CII was designed to advance economic recovery and increase long-term economic opportunity in Hennepin County communities significantly impacted by the pandemic.
A ceremony in the Minneapolis American Indian Center's gymnasium. (Photo courtesy of the MAIC)
When LaGarde first reached out to Ryan Kelley, Hennepin County’s Community Investments Manager, she laid out an incredible vision about not only the importance of MAIC to the community it serves, but also how the expanded building would enhance the community in which the building lives.
“The renovations and addition improved the public realm along Franklin Avenue, which is a key aspect of transit-oriented development,” Kelley said. “The ability to expand services, improve facilities, and continue as such a critical community institution for the future is part of the success of transit-oriented communities and aligned with the priorities of the county’s Community Investment Initiative.”
In addition to the Minneapolis American Indian Center, Hennepin County has invested over $6.3 million in other projects along the American Indian Corridor in south Minneapolis in recent years, including the Native American Community Clinic (NACC) and affordable housing development, the Indigenous Peoples Task Force’s (IPTF) new center for culture, arts and wellness, and the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center.
The expansion added 20,000 square feet to the center and includes a beautiful new rotunda, which serves as the focal point of the building. Other new amenities include the Gatherings Café, which serves healthy Indigenous food, and new spaces for Woodland Indian Crafts and the Two Rivers Gallery, which uplifts artwork by emerging Native artists.
The center’s George Morrison mural – based on a feather turning in space – was taken apart during the restoration project, cleaned and restored in Montana, and then reinstalled on an exterior wall on the east side of the building. The mural is made up of interlocking chevrons of cedar.
Mary LaGarde, executive director of the MAIC, next to the center's George Morrison mural.
MAIC is a community anchor for Native community members of all ages. Programming includes the Boys and Girls Club of the Minneapolis American Indian Center, which serves as an umbrella for youth programming. The center now boasts the Best Buy Teen Tech Center with video and audio equipment for creative projects.
“That really has been a draw for our teenagers. They have their own space now,” LaGarde said. “Before we had this nice renovated expanded building, we were just functioning in spaces that were never meant to be youth spaces or offices. We just had to make things work.”
The Native Fitness and Nutrition Program focuses on reducing health disparities in the American Community by providing free wellness activities, including access to a fitness center, gym and several fitness activities.
“The full-court gymnasium has really been a draw,” LaGarde said.
The Cultural Language Arts Network offers Dakota and Ojibwe language classes and other family activities rooted in Native traditions to encourage community connections and prevent drug and alcohol addiction.
Family Services offers culturally specific programs for Native women, mothers and families and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WOIA) program helps connect Native community members to employment and job training programs.
As for upcoming projects, MAIC is one of three community sites selected for Xcel Energy’s Resilient Minneapolis Project. As part of the pilot project, the center will get a new rooftop solar and battery energy storage system so it can generate its own electricity in the case of a natural disaster and help foster community resilience. LaGarde said community engagement sessions will be held to get ready for the pilot project.
