St. Paul, Minn. – Today, the first building within the Seward Towers announced the complete installation of fire sprinklers using funds allocated by the Minnesota State Legislature. State Senator Zaynab Mohamed (DFL- Minneapolis) and State Representative Mohamud Noor (DFL- Minneapolis) authored and passed legislation in 2023 that created a $10 million program to retrofit tall buildings with fire sprinklers and directed up to $4 million in state funding to retrofit Seward Towers with fire sprinklers.
“The residents of Seward Towers can now rest easier knowing they have necessary protection against fires. This legislation will save lives and prevent future tragedies,” said Rep. Noor. “I would like to give a special thank you to the late Senator Kari Dziedzic. She played a critical role in passing this life saving legislation. This is just one more example of her selfless career which has improved the lives of so many.”
This action was spurred by the tragic fire at a Minneapolis public housing location, 25-story Cedar-Riverside in November 2019 where five residents died. According to a report released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the five people who died in the fire could have been saved if the high-rise building had fire sprinklers installed.
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