Northern Spark Updates - Get Ready for June 11!

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Helado Negro sparks the night We're so excited to announce our headliner for this year's Opening Ceremony, Helado Negro. Coming on the heels of opening for a sold-out Devendra Banhart show at the Walker Art Center, Helado Negro will help you start your Northern Spark night off with a bang. Roberto Carlos Lange, the voice and mastermind behind the act, celebrates his Ecuadorian roots, performing futuristic tropical rhythms with bilingual English and Spanish lyrics. Join us at the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza for family friendly pre-festival activities with the Creative City Challenge Winner Wolf and Moose. The fun begins at 5:30 pm on June 11th, followed by the Opening Ceremony with Helado Negro and Minneaolis Mayor Betsey Hodges beginning at 8:30pm! #interconnect Play all night at Game Bar Game Bar returns to Northern Spark for a second year, with an all-night celebration of video games about climate change from around the world, presented by Northern Lights.mn and GLITCH. Sponsored by Fulton Brewery, the Game Bar invites you to witness and engage with games across platforms and formats—enter alternate realities, projection installations, custom arcade cabinets; sit down for a board game; or pick up a deck of cards. Featuring a variety of games curated by Evva Kraikul and Tyler Stefanich, Game Bar hosts an interactive lounge inside the Mill City Museum. With games Minnesota, Italy, the Czech Republic, and China, a dozen oversized screens will allow visitors to watch and play, while a roving console backpack brings the games right out to the audience. GLITCH promotes the exploration of digital games as a culture, career, and creative practice. They work to educate, inspire, and equip emerging talent with the tools for success in the digital game and simulation fields. #perceive Step Into Another World Step into a new fully immersive medium when you visit Virtual Reality: The New Frontier, an international selection of independent virtual reality works. The lineup includes some of the most compelling narrative and documentary VR storytelling being independently created today, plus specially selected pieces simRvR, Let's Go Crazy, and Black Lives Matter MPLS by local Minnesota artists. Presented in collaboration with the Walker Art Center, Sundance Institute's New Frontier Program, and Northern Lights.mn. simRVR by Bill Gorcica, Mark Gill, Matt Julius, Kristian Twombly invites you to witness the growing toxicity of a river, and how the smallest changes impact the farthest reaches of our food web. Black Lives Matter MPLS by Chuck Olson allows you to experience one peaceful night at the Black Lives Matter protest in North Minneapolis this past winter. In Let's Go Crazy, also by Chuck Olson, witness Dem Atlas perform a tribute to Prince in front of thousands of fans who gathered in front of First Avenue after his death. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Sundance Institute's New Frontier program has provided the highest level of curation in this emerging field since 2007. Incorporating fiction, non-fiction and hybrid projects to showcase innovations in storytelling as it intesects with technology, performance, film, art and music, he works featured in Virtual Reality: The New Frontier will be available for viewing at Northern Spark on June 11 and at the Walker Art Center until Thursday, June 16, and for download at sundance.org/vr #move Be a part of the magic - volunteer! There are so many ways to volunteer for Northern Spark! Come join the team to help out with the thrilling project Virtual Reality: The New Frontier. This collaboration between the Walker Art Center, Sundance Institute's New Frontier Program and Northern Lights.mn will showcase compelling virtual reality works from local, national and international artists. Volunteers help out in 3-hour shifts, which means that you can both volunteer for Northern Spark and participate in it! Lots of roles and times are still available. Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 11th and sign-up to volunteer at 2016.northernspark.org/about/volunteer.   Want to hear more? Watch this video to see why our Northern Spark volunteers keep coming back! #act Enjoy a Fulton at the Launch Party We are pleased to present Fulton Brewery as a sponsor for the 2016 Launch Party. Founded in 2009 and now a local staple, Fulton produces the vast majority of their beer at their Northeast brewery. Did you know they are Minneapolis' first taproom? Perhaps you'll find yourself there enjoying a pint during MN Craft Beer Week, and then you'll buy yourself a launch party ticket or two. What could be better than a Fulton enjoyed with friends under a Twin Cities sky before an all-night art festival? In this spirit, current and new subscribers of the Northern Lights.mn newsletter can enter to win Launch Party tickets here! Winner will be announced on May 24. Kick off Northern Spark's 6th year and start your adventure with artistic food curated by Marin Restaurant and Bar & Mill Valley Kitchen, Wise Acre, Black Sheep Pizza, The Third Bird, Al Vento, Eastside, Heyday, Alma, Forepaugh's and more. Enjoy beverages from Fulton Brewery and Lionheart Cider as you listen to music from jazz hip-hop group Doks Robotiks, along with K.Raydio and Bae Tigre! Golden Hour: 7-8 pm ($125 and $250) / Musical guest Doks Robotiks, an energetic, eight member jazz hip-hop group with special guests. Artistic hors d’oeuvres and a SPARKling beverage. VIP balcony seating available. Launch Party: 8-9 pm ($60) / Another set from Doks Robotiks and additional special guests. Artistic hors d’oeuvres and a delicious array of beverages. #act now and get your tickets to the Launch Party today! The Launch Party is presented by the Northern Spark 2016 Host Committee. Leah Gilliam: Artist Talk and Lesberation Game Play Test Saturday, May 21st at 2pm Juxtaposition Arts, 2007 Emerson Ave N, Minneapolis Free! Leah Gilliam talks about her art and tech careers followed by a play session of Lesberation: Trouble in Paradise, a story-telling game where players navigate the social and political complexities of a lesbian commune. Leah Gilliam’s long career of making media continues to expand the horizons of technology-based art in relationship to culture. An accomplished film/videomaker, new media artist, coder, strategist and game designer, Gilliam brings race, gender and sexual orientation into sharp conversation through interactive projects. Her interests range from the obsolescence of technology to the cultural and imaginative implications of human contact with Mars. More recently, her analog board games create a low-tech space for people to have real-world conversations through fantastical scenarios. RSVP on Facebook Now Hiring: Partnership and Outreach Coordinator Northern Lights.mn seeks a Partnership and Outreach Coordinator to support the partnership work of the Northern Spark festival. Apply by May 27th, 2016. Click here for more info!

What's up next with The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul

They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music In Exile Opening May 13 | 35th MSPIFF Official Selection | program: New Releases British director Johanna Schwartz's vibrant documentary follows musicians in Mali in the wake of a jihadist takeover and subsequent banning of music. Featuring original music by 35th MSPIFF special guests Songhoy Blues. ...read more

The Invitation Opening May 13 | 35th MSPIFF Official Selection | program: Dark Out Malicious intentions seem to be on the menu in Karyn Kusama's brilliantly paced thriller centering on a man who attends a suspicious dinner party hosted by his ex-wife Eden and new husband David. ...read more

Marguerite Opening May 20 | program: New Releases In this hilarious tragicomedy set in 1920s France, a wealthy baroness, respected patron of music and the opera, and passionate singer decides to take her performance from salon to stage, unaware of the unfortunate truth that she is the worst singer in the history of opera. ...read more

What We Become Opening May 20 | 35th MSPIFF Official Selection | program: Dark Out The Johansson family are looking forward to a quiet summer in their idyllic suburban Danish town, but in the blink of an eye, things go from blissful to berserk when a horrifying plague tears through the community. ...read more

Catching the Sun May 26 at 7:00pm | program: Community Screen Catching the Sun asks the hard questions of how a clean energy economy may actually be built, through the stories of unemployed workers seeking to retool at a solar jobs training program in Richmond, California. ...read more

Blue Velvet: 30th Anniversary Opening May 27 | program: New Releases At once beautiful, horrifying, erotic and surreal, this 1986 controversial masterpiece created by famed auteur David Lynch and featuring Dennis Hopper in his unforgettable role as Frank Booth returns to theaters in celebration of its 30th anniversary.

Westbound I-94 ramp to Fifth Street closing May 18 through June 1

Via a May 11 e-newsletter from MnDOT:

I-94/Seventh Street Ramp: 2015-2016 Construction  -  Closure Details

You will be unable to access Fifth St. from westbound I-94 in Minneapolis beginning Wed, May 18 at 1 a.m., weather permitting. The ramp will remain closed through Mon, June 1.

If you are intending to access Fifth St. from westbound I-94, please follow the posted detour: northbound Cedar Ave, to westbound Washington Ave, to Fourth Ave. 
The closure is needed while crews continue to reconstruct a new westbound I-94 bridge/ramp to Seventh St. in downtown Minneapolis.

The work is part of a larger project that includes realigning the existing westbound I-94 exit to Fifth St. by constructing a new section of ramp that will redirect traffic exiting westbound I-94 to Seventh St. instead of Fifth St. 

Additional work includes installing a traffic signal system and making accessibility improvements for pedestrians at the intersection of Seventh St. and 13th Ave.

This project is a collaborative effort of the city of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Department of Transportation that will:
•Improve mobility and access to downtown Minneapolis from westbound I-94.
•Reduce congestion on downtown area streets.
•Improve pedestrian safety at Seventh St./13th Ave. intersection

For more information, visit: mndot.gov/metro/projects/i94minneapolis/.

For real-time travel information anywhere in Minnesota visit http://www.511mn.org/ or dial 5-1-1.

Road Closures for May 12 Medtronic TC 1 Mile

On Thursday, May 12, West River Parkway from Portland to 13th Avenue, along with 2nd Street S and 11th Avenue S, will be closed to traffic from approximately 6:00pm-8:30pm for the Medtronic 1 Mile.  More Info

Public Invited to Watch a Trash Sort at HERC, May 12

Via a May 9 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

Hennepin County seeks a treasure of information in the trash

As part of a new waste study, Hennepin County is digging into residents’ garbage to learn more about what they are throwing away and what opportunities we are missing to recycle more. The study involves sorting trash into new categories that will provide better, more specific information about what could be recycled now but is not, and what opportunities need to be developed to increase recycling in the future. The effort is part of getting to our goal of recycling 75 percent of waste by 2030.

What
Watch a waste sort in action, find out what we’ve already learned, and see examples of the types of materials – recyclable and not recyclable – that are currently in the trash.

When
Thursday, May 12 at 11:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m. – Arrive, get safety equipment and view samples of materials pulled from the trash
11:45 a.m. – Media tour of waste sort
Noon – County officials and recycling experts available for interviews

Who
County officials and experts in waste reduction and recycling will be available for interviews.

Where
Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), 435 North 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401.

Enter the HERC Administration Building and the Visitor’s Center through the Target Field Station parking ramp.

Transit and parking information
Take the METRO Blue or Green lines to Target Field Station, or park at the Target Field Station pay ramp (enter at Fifth Ave. and Fifth St, by Caribou Coffee). Members of the media who need parking for a live-feed signal should contact Maria Baca at 612-348-7865.

Attire and safety information
For safety reasons, visitors must wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, a hard hat, and a safety vest on the HERC's tipping floor, where the waste sort is taking place. Hats and vests will be provided.

About the waste study
The study will examine trash from a cross-section of Minneapolis. After sorting the trash into material categories, the county's study will characterize the materials based on what already is recyclable in residential recycling programs and what materials currently go in the trash. Additionally, comparing the waste sort data to socioeconomic information from the different neighborhoods will help uncover trends in recycling behaviors that will inform future education and outreach efforts.

A secondary sort will examine the waste by “retail” categories, or where consumers buy products in a store and where waste is generated in their homes. This will answer questions such as: Are the packaging or durable goods we are buying recyclable or not? How could we create more opportunities to recycle, reduce, reuse or repair these materials? From what areas of a store and our homes are we generating a lot of trash or missing recycling opportunities?

About recycling in Hennepin County
In 2015, 46 percent of waste generated in Hennepin County was diverted to recycling or organics recycling. The recycling rate in the county has increased steadily but slowly over the past few years. Recycling alone has increased by 5 percent since 2010.

However, significant changes in behavior and waste management methods will be needed to achieve the county’s goal of recycling 75 percent of waste by 2030. This waste study will provide a better understanding of what is still in the trash and what changes will be needed to increase recycling enough to meet our goals.

Learn more about the county’s efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling in the 2015 Hennepin County Recycling Progress Report.

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Closed for Reconstruction Project

Via a May 9 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

Sculpture Garden will undergo complete reconstruction

A rendering illustrates planned improvements to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is now closed for a reconstruction project that will rebuild its failing infrastructure, breathing new life into the beloved Minnesota cultural institution.

The project includes the complete reconstruction of deteriorated and inadequate infrastructure such as irrigation, drainage and stormwater systems and other physical assets. The upgrades will also increase accessibility with new walkways and a larger bathroom facility and improve energy efficiency by converting Cowles Conservatory into an open air pavilion. Work is expected to take about a year, with a grand reopening planned summer 2017.

The Sculpture Garden will remain closed until the project is completed. For more information visit the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction project page.

3rd Avenue Reconstruction Tentatively Proposed to Begin the Week of May 24

Via a notification from the City of Minneapolis:

The City of Minneapolis Council is preparing to proceed with the redesign project on 3rd Avenue S between 1st Street S and 16th Street E. The project limits are shown on the attached map.  The scope of the project includes the installation of a protected bicycle lane, modifications to the existing street to a primarily four lane configuration, and new landscaping opportunities along 3rd Avenue S.  The approved configuration is located on the project website link below. The construction is tentatively proposed to begin the week of May 24th with the commitment of maintaining access to the adjacent properties.  To determine the staging and flow of the work we are coordinating with the numerous development and street construction projects in the downtown area.  We will continue to share information as it is developed.  For additional information on projects, please visit the City of Minneapolis Public Works Traffic Alerts page: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/traffic/index.htm  

You will see the following work tasks begin this year:
•  Removal of center medians and replacement with asphalt pavement;
•  Construct water connections for green space;
•  Adjustments to utility man hole covers;
•  Mill and Overlay on selected blocks to correct the grade from the median removal;
•  Seal Coat of roadway;
•  Temporary and permanent traffic markings; and
•  Signal system improvements.

The roadway reconfiguration will be started in 2016 and opened to traffic over the winter.  Other project work is expected to resume and be completed in 2017.  Activities planned for 2017 include remaining segments of seal coating, permanent traffic markings, irrigation systems and plantings.

We will continue to provide you information as the project proceeds and should there be time sensitive questions or issues that arise, please contact us:

Construction Manager: Elisha Langat at 612.673.5974
Design Manager:  Chris Engelmann at 612.673.3274

Additional information can be found on the project website: www.minneapolismn.gov/cip/future/WCMS1P-150686

West River Parkway Slope Repair Project Update

Via a May 6 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

Repairs on track to wrap up in July; parkway, trails remain closed until Franklin Avenue Bridge reopens this fall

The West River Parkway Slope Repair project is expected to be complete at the end of July 2016. However, West River Parkway and the adjacent trails will remain closed from 4th Street South to 25th Street South until Hennepin County reopens the Franklin Avenue Bridge, which closes to all traffic May 8 and is scheduled to reopen this fall.

We understand the extended closure of West River Parkway has frustrated and inconvenienced many Minneapolis residents and park users and we appreciate the public's patience while work is performed on this extraordinarily challenging project. 

See Project page for updates on the remaining work schedule and project history.

Minneapolis Downtown Council Announces Explore Downtown Living Event

Via a May 5 e-announcement from the Minneapolis Downtown Council:

Free Explore Downtown Living Tours Return Saturday, May 21
                                               
What:    Explore Downtown Living
When:   Saturday, May 21 from 10 am-5 pm
Where:  Central Business District, Downtown East/Mill District, Loring Park, North Loop, Northeast

Explore Downtown Living is a FREE event that lets you tour Downtown Minneapolis and all it has to offer at your own pace. On May 21, visit 29 residential communities and tour their amenities while learning about their surrounding neighborhoods and getting a sense of what the community has to offer.

New properties taking part in May’s event include  700 Central, Bolero Flats, District 600, Edition, Eitel Building, Marquette Place, Mill City Quarter, One Ten Grant and The Metro Apartments.

Sign up for Explore Downtown Living at www.exploredtliving.com, and use an online interactive map or printed Field Guide to help you navigate around downtown.

Last year’s Explore Downtown Living showcased approximately 8,500 unit tours. May’s event features more residential communities coming on board. View the full list and map here: www.exploredtliving.com/map.

Participants can walk or bike from location to location, and they can also enjoy free parking at select spots. Plus, participants can enjoy discounts and freebies from the following local businesses. The full list of restaurants, retail shops, fitness organizations and more can be viewed at  www.exploredtliving.com/partner-offers.

Explore Downtown Living is an initiative of the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan’s Development Committee, which aims to double the downtown population to 70,000 by the year 2025.

Earth Day 2016 Results = Impressive

From a May 5 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

The Minneapolis Earth Day event on Saturday, April 23 helps with the greening efforts of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and creates a more beautiful environment throughout Minneapolis Parks. Thank you to Cargill for sponsoring the event and to all of our volunteers for coming out and making this event a huge success.

We collected 1,640 pounds of metal, 640 pounds of recycling and a whopping 8,100 pounds of garbage!

If you participated in this event we are seeking feedback about what we can do to improve the event in the future. Please take just five minutes to complete this survey. 

Mill City Farmers Market May 7 Opening Day Herb Giveaway from Cynthia Froid Group

Mill City Farmers Market Sponsor Cynthia Froid Group is again treating shoppers to a free herb plant as part of the 2016 outdoor season Opening Day festivities.  If you receive the below post card in the mail this week, bring it to the Green Earth Growers booth at the May 7 Market for your choice of a rosemary, basil or oregano plant.  No post card? You can also Like them on Facebook, or sign up onsite with your email to receive your gift (you’ll be notified of their future events and giveaways in the Minneapolis community).

Riverplace Market Opens June 1 - Wednesdays thru September

FARMERS MARKET OPENS ON MINNEAPOLIS RIVERFRONT

Sentinel Property Management Corp will host Riverplace Market, a new community based farmers and artisan market. It will be located on the cobblestone courtyard of Riverplace, in a prime location at Hennepin and Main Street on the beautiful Mississippi riverfront.

Riverplace Market is set to open its inaugural 2016 season on Wednesday, June 1st. The market will operate Wednesdays from 3pm to 7pm, rain or shine, through the end of September.

"We have a nice selection of vendors at the market." said Mary Waldrop, Sentinel’s Regional Asset Manager.  “Customers can expect to find farm fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, sauces and spices, honey, nuts and products from local artisans as well as food trucks each week."

Updates and announcements can be found on the market’s social media outlets @riverplacemkt, Facebook or Instagram.

New artisans and food producers are welcome to apply to participate in the market. Limited single spaces are still available for select weeks. Contact, Stephanie Hansen at 651-983-4766 or by email at Stephanie@stephaniesweeklydish for the latest availability.

Preservation Photo Contest to Celebrate National Historic Preservation Month

Preservation Photo Contest to Celebrate National Historic Preservation Month

May is National Historic Preservation Month! The City of Minneapolis department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) is excited to invite you to participate in a photo contest to celebrate the historic resources that make our city a special place to live. Minneapolis has 170 locally designated landmarks and 15 historic districts. We want to see how you can capture the character of these places!

CPED is encouraging individuals to share their best photos of Minneapolis landmarks or scenes from historic districts to celebrate the benefit of these places to our city. To enter the contest, snap a photo and post it on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtag #MPLSpreservation by May 31, 2016.

The winners will be announced in early June and three winning photos will be featured in the Heritage Preservation Commission’s annual report, the City’s Heritage Preservation webpage, and other City of Minneapolis department of Community Planning and Economic Development webpages.

NOTE: Photos should not contain identifiable people. Submissions may be used by the City of Minneapolis in future print and digital publications, with proper credit to the photographer.

Map of Minneapolis landmarks and historic districts

Opening Day At The Mill City Farmers Market - May 7

Via an April 28 Press Release from the Mill City Farmers Market:

Opening Day brings new vendors, great food, and lots of family activities for Mother’s Day weekend!

The rooster is crowing. It is Opening Day for the Mill City Farmers Market on Saturday, May 7th. Shop fresh spring produce, local artisans, and celebrate Mother’s Day with fragrant bouquets and fun family activities from 8am to 1pm. Enjoy the much-awaited growing season at this downtown market located in between the Guthrie Theater and the Mill City Museum.

Join Juut Salonspa all day to plant flowers and herbs or dust off your chef hat for the free cooking class at 10:30am with Chef Jenny Breen and her daughter in the Mill City Cooks kitchen. Young market-goers can stop by the Information Booth to get a taste of seasonal vegetables from the Power of Produce kids’ sampling table. Plus, lively music from local sensation Roe Family Singersstarts at 11am, and Hennepin County Master Gardeners will be answering your spring gardening questions.

Local breakfast and lunch are served all day, so come hungry for pulled-pork hash, sweet-potato tacos, sweet and savory crepes, Nepali dumplings, and more seasonal favorites. Remember to bring your grocery list so you can relish the spring harvest with fresh asparagus, spring greens, carrots, baby beets, kale, rhubarb, pasture-raised meats and eggs, fresh artisan pastries and much, much more! Remember you can find healthy, spring recipes at the Information Booth and in the market’s recipe archives at millcityfarmersmarket.org.

This season, the market welcomes the return of many wonderful vendors as well as several new: Abrothecary, owned by local butcher and Chef Andrew Ikeda, introduces a variety of frozen and ready-to-eat bone broths and soups to the market. Cosmic Wheel Creamery will be bringing aged and fresh farmstead cheeses from their small heard of Jersey cows in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. Heritage Breads, a familiar face to winter market regulars, will continue to sell hand-made artisan breads made from Sunrise Flour Mill grains. The Mill City Farmers Market will also be expanding to the other side of 2^nd Street on Chicago Avenue in front of the American Academy of Neurology building for 11 weeks later this summer (Saturdays from June 25^th to Labor Day Weekend). Additional new vendors joining the market in the expansion include: Food Building, Serious Jam, Sift Gluten Free Bakery, the Twisted Shrub, Bee Brews, and many more!

EBT is accepted at the Mill City Farmers Market. The information booth offers EBT tokens and matching ten dollar Market Bucks to all SNAP participants.

Founded in 2006 by acclaimed local chef Brenda Langton and the Mill City Museum, Mill City Farmers Market has earned a reputation for its promotion of healthy eating and sustainable agriculture. Located at 704 S. 2nd Street in downtown Minneapolis, the market runs every Saturday May through October from 8am to 1pm. More information can be found at www.millcityfarmersmarket.org.

Construction of New Mississippi East Bank Trail Begins Soon

Via an April 27 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

Critical two-way, off-street trail within Above the Falls Regional Park opens this fall

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is pleased to announce construction of the new Mississippi East Bank Trail begins in early May. The .75-mile trail along the Northeast Minneapolis riverfront will open this fall.

The two-way, off-street trail will serve both pedestrians and bicyclists. It will extend north from Boom Island Park through the Scherer site, the Graco property and Sheridan Memorial Park. Its alignment curves east at the BNSF railroad tracks near 16th Avenue NE and terminates at Marshall Street NE. Bicyclists and pedestrians will share the southern half of the trail until Sheridan Memorial Park, where a separate pedestrian trail will break out and run next to the bike trail until it reaches the BNSF tracks.

The Mississippi East Bank Trail project page contains an aerial map of the trail’s alignment through Above the Falls Regional Park. This new trail is one segment in a series of Upper Riverfront trail loops envisioned in the RiverFirst initiative.

Read the full news release on our website.

Emergency Road Closure for West River Parkway

Via an April 27 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

West River Parkway closed between Portland Ave and 4th Ave N
 
A sinkhole that formed next to the bicycle path adjacent to West River Parkway near Mill Ruins Park has caused the closing of West River Parkway between Portland Avenue and 4th Avenue N. Detours for the area will be posted.

The bike trail has been closed with bike traffic diverted to the nearby pedestrian path. Cyclists are asked to yield to pedestrians. West River Parkway will be closed until Minneapolis Park Board and City of Minneapolis staff can assess any potential impact to the parkway.

A-Mill Artist Lofts to Debut at 2016 Art-A-Whirl

Sarah Stonich, NEMAA Building Coordinator, provided us with a preview of what to look for at the A-Mill Artist Lofts inaugural participation in Art-a-Whirl, May 20, 21 and 22.

In addition to a number of open studios, the main and lower floors will be filled with exhibitors. Tours of the building will be offered throughout the weekend.

The performance hall will feature a full schedule of entertainment, including comedians, musicians, spoken word and authors. Meet R. T. Rybak at his 1:00pm Pothole Confidential book signing on Saturday, May 21.

A special presentation by singer/songwriter Eme in the A-Mill alley entrance will feature Fly Away, an interactive performance celebrating the life transition of a bird leaving its (life-sized) nest.

Catch the 1950s 'Museum on Wheels' courtesy of the Minnesota Transportation Museum. Complete with featured artists ads, the vintage bus will provide free shuttles between the Grain Belt Studios trolley stops and the A-Mill.

The A-Mill Artist Lofts building is located at 315 Main Street SE.

HCMC Clinic and Pharmacy Coming to the North Loop

Via an April 26 News Release from Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC):

Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) will open a new clinic and pharmacy to serve people living and working in the North Loop area and central business district in downtown Minneapolis.

“North Loop is the fastest growing residential neighborhood in Minneapolis and the people who live there have been asking for a local clinic and pharmacy to serve their health care needs,” said Jon L. Pryor, MD, MBA, CEO. “This new clinic will do that, and serve a broader need for several sought-after specialties for people who live and work in the area.”

The new clinic and full service pharmacy will open later this year on the first floor of the Tractor Works building at 800 Washington Avenue North.

“This is an active neighborhood and this clinic will provide convenient access to primary care, chiropractic care and acupuncture services that neighborhood residents told us they want,” said Scott Wordelman, FACHE, Sr. Vice President of Ambulatory Care & Support Services. “We will also offer allergy and dermatology specialty care by board-certified physicians, as well as additional specialties, such as women’s health and sports medicine.”

The clinic will blend high tech and high touch, with top medical care and conveniences like online scheduling, personal electronic medical records and wellness, nutrition, and fitness programming for the neighborhood.

“Our mission is to improve the health and wellness of the whole community and this clinic, along with the rest of our growing clinic system, supports that mission,” said Pryor.
 HCMC recently announced the move and expansion of the Richfield Clinic, scheduled to open in a larger, more visible location in Richfield this fall. In downtown Minneapolis, HCMC operates an employer clinic and multiple primary care and specialty clinics on the main medical center campus. Construction also is underway on a new 377,000 square foot ambulatory clinic and surgery center that will open in early 2018.

“Between the new North Loop Clinic and our main campus we are able to meet every health care need of downtown residents, workers, and visitors,” said Wordelman. “People can stay in one system to get the full continuum of care, and it’s all located close to where they live or work.”

About Hennepin County Medical Center

Hennepin County Medical Center is a health care system that includes a nationally recognized Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center with the largest emergency department in Minnesota. The comprehensive health care system includes a 484-bed acute care hospital, primary care and specialty clinics located in Minneapolis in the Whittier, East Lake St., and Elliot Park neighborhoods and in the suburban communities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Golden Valley, Richfield, and St. Anthony Village. HCMC also offers home care and hospice services. HCMC is operated by Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc., a subsidiary corporation of Hennepin County.  More information at hcmc.org.

Franklin Avenue Bridge Construction Update

Via an April 26 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

Closure starts 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 8

At 8 p.m. on May 8, the Franklin Avenue Bridge (County Road 5) in Minneapolis will completely close to all traffic (motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians). The bridge is expected to reopen Labor Day weekend. 

This closure is needed to allow for removal of the existing bridge deck and to place new deck panels. More than 360 deck panels were constructed last year and are ready for placement. These panels will be floated down the river and hoisted up to the bridge deck.

Getting around the area

Motorists will be directed to a route that uses I-94 to cross the river.

Pedestrians and bicyclists have two options: south to Lake Street/Marshall Avenue or north to Washington Avenue.

Please note, the West River Parkway detour due to the mudslide near the University of Minnesota is still in effect.

Boater and recreational users of the Mississippi River should be mindful that there will be barges and cranes in the river and a heavy amount of construction traffic in the river.

Full detour information can be found on the project website.

More about the project

The new bridge is being constructed using the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) method to reduce the duration of traffic closure. As part of this, crews expect to work extended hours at times.

Prior to now, the majority of the work around the bridge has been under the deck. Crews have been repairing and restoring piers and arches, as well as relocating utilities that run under the deck. Remaining bridge restoration activities, along with final tasks and clean-up, will be performed during fall 2016 and spring 2017.

The new restored bridge features will replicate the historical design of the original 1923 bridge and will incorporate safe, modern, multimodal features such as separated on-road bike lanes, walkways, overlook nooks and architectural lighting.

There will be more about the project in future updates, as we provide details about the process to remove and replace the bridge deck.

For more information:

Project phone: 888-474-8929
Email: franklinbridge@hennepin.us
Website: www.hennepin.us/franklinbridge

See active projects on our interactive road construction map.

Late Business Leader Pat Fallon Supports Brain Injury Research at HCMC

Via an April 25 Press Release from Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC):

 

The late Twin Cities advertising executive Pat Fallon left a bequest supporting traumatic brain injury research at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC). The Hennepin Health Foundation today announced a major gift from Pat to support the Rockswold Kaplan Chair for Traumatic Brain Injury Research at HCMC.

Fallon’s son, Duffy, was treated by HCMC in 2011 for a brain injury as a result of a hockey accident. At the time, Pat Fallon said they’d had a series of medical appointments elsewhere that brought little progress and a lot of frustration. “Our world changed once we got to HCMC’s Traumatic Brain Injury Center. Instead of telling him what he couldn’t do, the doctor said, ‘Duffy, I can help you.’’’ Today, Duffy has recovered fully and is a student at Boston College. 

Established December 2014, the research chair was endowed by philanthropists Elliot and Eloise Kaplan and neurosurgeon Dr. Gaylan Rockswold and his wife Mary to enable continuation of the world-class brain injury program at HCMC. Dr. Rockswold spent 42 years at HCMC performing surgery and clinical and basic science research, most notably to develop the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for brain injury.

Dr. Uzma Samadani, a neurosurgeon whose research on concussion is receiving international recognition, is the Rockswold Kaplan Chair for Traumatic Brain Injury Research. Dr. Samadani published research that describes a method for assessing the severity of traumatic brain injury by measuring eye movements. It was recently announced that HCMC is the site of the nation’s largest single-center prospective study on concussion and brain injury.

“Pat Fallon’s generosity enables HCMC to attract world-class physician researchers who are developing new ways to identify and treat brain injuries,” said Jon L. Pryor, HCMC CEO.  “We are grateful for his investment in hope and healing and we are pleased that HCMC can continue to lead the way.”

Over 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. Among children and young adults, brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability. Nearly 100,000 brain injuries occur annually in Minnesota. Sustaining a brain injury can be a life-changing event, and many patients will need specialized therapies for months or years.

Hennepin County Medical Center is a Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center and healthcare system. HCMC treats more traumatic brain injury patients than any other hospital in Minnesota. Expertise spans the entire continuum of care for adult and pediatric patients, from prevention to emergency care, neurosurgery, critical care, rehabilitation and the Traumatic Brain Injury Outpatient Program.