The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday overrode Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of a legislative directive to further explore converting George Floyd Square into a pedestrian mall.

A 9-4 supermajority kept the possibility of a pedestrian mall alive despite the mayor urging council members to finalize a plan and avoid further delays.

“The national political climate is incredibly hostile toward the movement for racial justice in this country,” said Council Member Katie Cashman, who authored the legislative directive. “I will continue to follow community members’ lead here, while making sure we are investing in George Floyd Square as a City, not only this year and next year but for many generations to come.”

RELATED: Minneapolis community members ask council to override veto on plans for George Floyd Square

An idea to cut off traffic on Chicago Avenue at 38th Street got little support from neighbors during the community feedback stage, but council members don’t believe the proposal was fully fleshed out.

A state law also prevents a pedestrian plaza from being built if more than half of the neighboring property owners object to the plan.

Frey lashed out at council members, calling the vote “a betrayal of the community’s wishes and a colossal waste of time and tax dollars.”

The mayor also warned that the pedestrian mall study could add $500,000 in costs on top of the $2.2 million already spent on community engagement. City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher said that spending means other projects will be delayed.

“Overriding the mayor’s veto and moving forward with this pedestrian mall plan is not just a poor decision — it’s fiscally irresponsible,” Anderson Kelliher said.

A news conference was held Thursday afternoon following the city council meeting. You can watch that in the video player below.

Council members will also be briefed Thursday on the status of the U.S. Justice Department’s settlement with the city and the Minneapolis Police Department. A federal investigation that began after Floyd’s murder found the city’s police department engaged in a pattern of racist and abusive behavior.

While a settlement was reached in January, its exact terms aren’t known — only that it could involve “use of force” policy changes and bias awareness training. It also may overlap with police reforms ordered by the state.

However, the federal settlement still needs approval from a judge. And just last week, a judge agreed to temporarily pause proceedings while new U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi gets up to speed on the case.