Dancing robot, life-sized puppet part of big spending on promotion of $3 billion light rail project

Although construction on the $3.2 billion Blue Line Extension isn’t expected to start until at least 2027, Hennepin County has already poured years of effort—and millions of dollars—into promoting the project. A review of contracts obtained by 5 INVESTIGATES shows that the county has spent more than $2.6 million on various public-engagement activities intended to gather feedback on the proposed line between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park.

This outreach has included standard tools such as community meetings, surveys, and social-media education. But the review also uncovered more unconventional spending: thousands of dollars on a dancing robot, a series of yoga and fitness sessions, and a large puppet outfitted with a video camera meant to encourage interaction.

Dan Soler, Hennepin County’s Director of Transit and Mobility, defended the unusual tactics as attempts to reach residents who don’t typically attend traditional public meetings. He said the goal was to try “creative approaches” to spark conversations about the project. But the revelations have renewed criticism from those who already questioned the value and cost of the Blue Line Extension.

State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Maple Grove Republican who chairs a legislative committee focused on preventing fraud and is running for governor, denounced the spending as wasteful. Robbins said her constituents don’t support the project and argued that ridership trends don’t justify such a massive investment. She questioned how puppets, dance events, or similar gimmicks contribute useful information for decision-making.

Soler acknowledged that these concerns are valid, but said that after the pandemic, traditional outreach wasn’t drawing enough people. As a result, the county hired local artists and performers to experiment with new ways to gather community feedback.

One example was the $5,000 contract for a life-sized puppet called “Halimas Smile,” which appeared at several events in 2024. The puppet’s head included a live-feed camera encouraging people to engage with it. A submitted video showed attendees responding to questions like, “What brings you joy?”—though no on-camera comments touched on the Blue Line itself. The artist claimed conversations about the project occurred off-camera.

Another contract brought in “Robot Mobile Disco,” a performer in a robot costume. The agreement said the robot would help collect video feedback on the Blue Line Extension. So far, the only footage shared with reporters shows the robot dancing while displaying a map of the proposed route.

Documents reveal that more than $100,000 in outreach spending went toward these artist-driven or performance-based strategies, including a business that offered dance fitness classes and yoga sessions with freshly pressed juices as part of community engagement.

Robbins argued that while outreach is necessary, these efforts don’t reflect what residents actually care about: how the project will impact their neighborhoods and daily lives. She said these methods trivialize serious concerns about cost, ridership, and long-term impact.

Hennepin County says it is discontinuing the arts-focused portion of the outreach—called “Cultivate Arts”—for 2025. Soler said the engagement strategy will now shift toward more direct, practical interaction with residents and businesses located along the proposed route. Plans include opening satellite offices where people can ask questions and learn more about the project.

Soler emphasized that the county wants public scrutiny, not to avoid it. “We’re preparing to spend three billion dollars,” he said. “We want people to understand that, and we want to hear their thoughts before we move forward.”

Source: KSTP.COM