GAF closing north Minneapolis plant, cutting 120 jobs
Roofing manufacturer GAF Materials will shutter its north Minneapolis manufacturing plant, eliminating roughly 120 jobs at a long-time industrial site just south of the massive Upper Harbor riverfront redevelopment, according to a Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal report. The facility sits along the Mississippi near where the city and developers are building an amphitheater, health center, park space and housing, making the closure a significant shift for that corridor's remaining industrial footprint. The article previews the closure but, behind a paywall, is expected to detail timing, severance and whether any production or workers will be shifted to other GAF locations. For north-side residents, it's a hit to one of the few remaining blue-collar plants inside city limits at the same time nearby land is being repositioned for higher-end mixed use. The combination of job loss and changing land values will bear close watching as Minneapolis weighs what replaces GAF on a riverfront that's rapidly moving away from industry.
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📊 Relevant Data
The GAF shingle plant in North Minneapolis has been the subject of protests due to concerns over downwind pollution affecting local communities. ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis)) ([Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/protestors-gather-to-close-shingle-factory-north-minneapolis))
Protestors gather to close shingle factory North Minneapolis — Audacy
Near North neighborhood in Minneapolis, where the plant is located, has a population that is 54% Black, compared to 18.8% Black for the city of Minneapolis overall. ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity)) ([Statistical Atlas](https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Minnesota/Minneapolis/Near-North/Race-and-Ethnicity))
Race and Ethnicity in Near North, Minneapolis, Minnesota — Statistical Atlas
The unemployment rate for Black residents in Minnesota was 7.7% in August 2025, compared to the statewide unemployment rate of about 3.9%. ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/us-minnesota-job-labor-market-black-worker-unemployment-hiring-layoff/601491493))
Black workers bear the brunt of a stagnant U.S. job market — Star Tribune
The Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment project in North Minneapolis has raised concerns about gentrification and potential displacement of local residents. ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here)) ([Friends of the Mississippi River](https://fmr.org/updates/land-use-planning/upper-harbor-terminal-where-do-we-go-here))
Upper Harbor Terminal - Where do we go from here? — Friends of the Mississippi River
📌 Key Facts
- GAF Materials will close its north Minneapolis manufacturing facility, located just south of the Upper Harbor riverfront redevelopment
- The closure will lay off about 120 workers at the plant
- The plant sits next to a $300M‑plus mixed‑use project with an amphitheater, park, health center and housing along the Mississippi River
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