In 2015, the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the mayor of the city of Saint Paul attended a Rondo Community Healing and Reconciliation Ceremony. At that ceremony, they offered formal apologies to the community for the harm their decisions caused by the construction of Interstate 94. They pledged that such a “monstrosity could not and would not ever be created again.” Chris Coleman, former Mayor of St. Paul said, “Today we acknowledge the sins of our past. We regret the stain of racism that allowed so callous a decision as the one that led to families being dragged from their homes, creating a diaspora of the African American community in the city of Saint Paul.” These acknowledgments have been followed up with significant deeds and serious commitments to work with the Rondo community to lessen the harm and undo the consequences. Backed by the principles of restorative development, ReConnect Rondo is driven by the bold dream of an African American cultural enterprise district connected by a community land bridge.

This is a big project with enormous upsides for righting these wrongs. It’s a substantive way of undoing some of the damage that was caused, while at the same time providing an innovative pathway to restore what was lost. Together, we can bring closure to the past and set up a prosperous future to Rondo, its residents and the city of Saint Paul. To be successful, however, a number of factors must be present. First and foremost, there needs to be a foundation of trust among all who support or represent this restorative movement. That includes government agencies, organizations, neighborhood groups, consultants and staff. We need to resolve the complicated issues and interests involved with the vast number of players. There must be an honest and unwavering allegiance to the idea that when the community speaks, the parties on the other side will listen. Those parties need to welcome the unprecedented opportunity to find answers outside the box and pinpoint remedies beyond traditional outlines.

With the interest of the Rondo community uppermost in mind, we can make this dream happen. We can undo some of the damage caused, while at the same time providing an innovative pathway to restore what was lost. We can bring closure to the past while setting up a prosperous future to Rondo, its residents and the city of Saint Paul. This is a once in a generation opportunity. It’s the chance to create real change in the social, economic, cultural, educational, environmental and historical accuracy of a community lost or destroyed by adverse government action. I can’t imagine a more important task to undertake.