June 14, 2014: Grand Opening for METRO Green Line

Via a January 22, 2014, e-newsletter from the Metropolitan Council:

(St. Paul) - Light rail between Minneapolis and St. Paul will link Twin Cities residents to neighborhoods and the two downtowns starting Saturday, June 14, with free rides and day-long community celebrations, Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh said today.

“Starting service 60 years to the month after the last streetcar left the Twin Cities is fitting.” said Haigh, whose work on the METRO Green Line (Central Corridor LRT) dates back to her days on the Ramsey County Board.  “For me, seeing two vibrant downtowns, numerous job, education and medical centers, and, tens of thousands of people connected by this project is the most exciting part.”

The 11-mile corridor between the two downtowns links Union Depot in St. Paul’s Lowertown to the State Capitol complex, Midway, University of Minnesota and Target Field.  As the region’s second light rail line, the METRO Green Line will connect to the Blue Line (Hiawatha) at Downtown East Station.

The mid-June opening will allow the line to serve baseball fans attending Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game at Target Field in July.

The opening is nearly six months earlier than required by the Federal Transit Administration, which is funding half the $957 million project. The project is on budget.

The project created 5,445 construction jobs and $252 million in construction payroll, with workers coming from more than 60 Minnesota counties ranging from the Canadian border to Iowa. The METRO Green Line also created 177 permanent operations and maintenance jobs for downtown St. Paul and has spurred more than $1.7 billion in development along the line.

Event planning for opening day is underway, with the help of the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, and involvement of the surrounding communities and businesses. Following a 9 a.m. speeches and ceremonial ribbon cutting at Union Depot, festivities and events for all ages are being planned from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Union Depot Station, Central Station, Western Avenue Station, Victoria Street Station, Hamline Avenue Station, Raymond Avenue Station, Stadium Village Station and West Bank Station.  Metro Transit will offer free rides on the METRO Green Line and all other rail and bus routes June 14-15.

“The Central Corridor Funders Collaborative is a proud partner in planning and raising funds for the opening weekend,” said Polly Talen, program director for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and co-chair of the Funders Collaborative.  “We want to celebrate the opening of the line and all the neighborhoods along the way. Our intention is to help make possible large, community-driven celebrations on opening day that will acknowledge the community contributions to this line.”  Talen explained that station-area events will reflect the distinct flavor of the various neighborhoods and communities on the corridor and provide an opportunity for riders to experience what the communities have to offer.

Haigh thanked and acknowledged project partners, including the Federal Transit Administration and the Minnesota congressional delegation, Counties Transit Improvement Board, the State of Minnesota, Hennepin and Ramsey counties and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. She noted that both cities went above and beyond in encouraging and creating vibrant neighborhood development with excellent bicycle and pedestrian access along the line. Haigh heaped significant praise on the businesses and institutions, and community organizations along the corridor.

“This transit investment is finally on the verge of paying off for so many business owners, customers, students and others along the corridor. I can’t thank them enough for their patience and guidance during construction.  I am anxious for all of them to experience the vitality and renewal that has already begun along this light rail line and will continue far into the future,” Haigh said.

Project partners highlighted the significant impact opening the METRO Green Line will have on the entire region and the regional transit system.

Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Chair of the Counties Transit Improvement Board and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority noted, “The Green Line will re-twin the Twin Cities and move the regional transit system forward for everyone.  This will become the impetus for investment in other lines critical to the east metro.”

"From early planning studies almost 30 years ago to this moment, Ramsey County has understood the imperative of a central transit line connecting our Capitol city with neighborhoods, major institutions and Minneapolis,” said Commissioner Rafael Ortega, Chair of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority. “We made significant financial investment into the planning, development and construction of this line and eagerly await opening day to be celebrated at Union Depot, our historic multi-modal transit hub.”

Regional business leaders also praised the project, highlighting its role in economic development.

“Nine years ago, the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Chambers launched the Central Corridor Partnership to ensure that this line would be built on time and on budget. It is exciting to see both of those objectives realized in the emergence of the Green Line, a vital link in the transit infrastructure necessary to support a thriving region,” said Todd Klingel, president of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber. 

 “The opening of the Green Line opens a new chapter in the storied history of the Twin Cities. Connecting the two downtowns, through the heart of the urban core, this line will spur economic development and provide dependable, consistent transit options in the years to come,” said Matt Kramer, president of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.

Updates to the June 14th celebration will be posted at www.metrotransit.org/greenline. Chick here to view a fact sheet on the project.

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system and Northstar commuter rail, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income families. The Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Governor.

Tonight: Pete Hohn Artist Reception at Carbon Chroma Gallery in the Northrup King Building

Pete Hohn is an award winning photojournalist for the Minneapolis Tribune and Rochester Post Bulletin. He captured Twin Cities life from the 1950s - 1980s.

Carbon Chroma Gallery, located in the Northrup King Building, is hosting an Artist Reception tonight, January 18, from 6-9pm. Pete's retrospective is on exhibit thru January 25.

Tonight! Neighborhood Meeting: Ryan Companies Downtown East Redevelopment Update at Open Book

Ryan Companies Downtown East Redevelopment Update

Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Location: Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association, Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc., the Mill District Neighborhood Association, and the East Downtown Council are co-hosting a joint neighborhood meeting tonight, January 16, 6:30pm at Open Book.

The joint meeting is an opportunity for Ryan Companies to give downtown residents and businesses an update on their Downtown East Redevelopment Project. This project was approved by the City’s Community Development Committee on Tuesday, December 10, and approved by the full City Council on December 13.

The Film Society of Mpls St. Paul Presents THE CRASH REEL January 10-16

THE CRASH REEL is screening January 10-16 at The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul's St. Anthony Main Theatre.

This eye-popping film seamlessly combines twenty years of stunning action footage with new specially-shot verité footage and interviews as it follows U.S. champion snowboarder Kevin Pearce and exposes the irresistible but potentially fatal appeal of extreme sports. 

View Trailer.

Parkway Closures for January 1, 2014

The following parkways will be temporarily closed January 1, 2014, for these race events:

January 1 – Polar Dash 14 Mile, 10K & 5K:  9:00am – 2:00pm – East River Parkway

January 1 – Life Time Fitness Commitment Day 5K:  6:30am – 10:30am – West River Parkway from Plymouth Avenue North to Franklin Avenue South

Please note that the duration of the closures is subject to change based on the event's start and finish times.  A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.

Street Closures Around Metrodome for December 29 Vikings-Lions Game

The City of Minneapolis will close several streets around the Metrodome as a security measure for the Minnesota Vikings game versus the Detroit Lions this Sunday.

Beginning at 10:00am, Sunday, December 29, the City will close the following streets:

· Fifth Street, from 11th Avenue to Park Avenue
· Chicago Avenue, from Third Street to Sixth Street
· Fourth Street, from Park Avenue to I-35W
· Norm McGrew Place, from Third Street to Fourth Street

These roads will reopen approximately two hours after the completion of the game.

For real-time information for lane closures and construction in downtown Minneapolis, see the right-of-way permiting map.

New: Science on Screen Series from The Film Society of Mpls St. Paul

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, in collaboration with the Bakken Museum, is pleased to present Science on Screen, a new series of occasional screenings and discussions on science in film. The series is made possible through a grant by the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Science on Screen launches with a special presentation of James Whale’s 1935 The Bride of Frankenstein, and a pre-reception and introduction of the film and commentary by Rebecca Bergman.

By all accounts, including that of the late great Roger Ebert, this is the best of the Frankenstein films. Inspired by Mary Shelley's masterpiece, this brilliant, funny, satirical film explores the making of the Monster’s mate, with Boris Karloff (the Monster) and Elsa Lanchester (Mary Shelley). The restored print, highlighting the film’s great use of light and shadow, camera angles and architecture, is a revelation on the big screen. The film’s connections to Medtronic and to the Bakken Museum, both founded by Earl Bakken are many, including the use of electricity in medicine and the "in vitro" pacemaker used in the film by Dr. Frankenstein, which inspired Bakken to invent the modern pacemaker.

The first event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, 2014. Tickets are $15 General / $10 Film Society & Bakken Members, which includes light food, speaker, film and cash bar.  More Info, Purchase Tickets.

Aster River Room, 125 SE Main Street
5:00-7:00 Pre-Reception
6:00-6:45 Film Intro and commentary by Rebecca Bergman

St. Anthony Main Theatre
7:00-8:30 Film Screening
Informal Post-screening gathering at Aster Cafe River Room

Merry Christmas to our Mill District Neighbors!

Wishing you a delicious Holiday filled with family and friends. :)

Bridge Connecting Boom Island and Nicollet Island Closed

Via a December 23 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board:

Beginning Friday, December 20, 2013, pedestrians may have noticed barriers at both ends of the old railroad/pedestrian bridge over the Mississippi River east channel from Boom Island to Nicollet Island to prevent vehicles, including Park Board maintenance vehicles, from crossing the bridge.

The closure follows a City of Minneapolis inspection report that notes the advanced state of deterioration of the superstructure below the bridge deck.

The Park Board has been informed that the bridge can still carry pedestrian traffic, so the bridge remains open for walkers and cyclists.

Park Board maintenance staff will continue to remove snow from the bridge using non-vehicular methods.

The Lifetime Fitness Commitment Day 5K race on January 1, 2014 will go on as scheduled following their planned route.

This Video Will Lure You to Aster Cafe

While checking out their upcoming events, I noticed this video on Aster Cafe's website and felt the need to share it.

PS - Their lemon pie is sooooooo good!  :)

Christmas Dinner and Skating at The Depot

Christmas is next week!  Enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner in the neighborhood from 4:00pm - 8:00pm at The Depot.  Added bonus - The ice rink will be open for skating from 12:00pm - 9:00pm!

       

December 14 Mill City Farmers Market - Food, Friends, Gifts

Beautiful arrangements from Gold Finch Flowers and gorgeous creations from St. Croix Chocolate Company added to the festive atmosphere of the December 14 Market.   The next indoor Market is Saturday, January 11, 2014.

It wouldn't be a Market without the Singing Hills goat!

Thank you to the Mill City Museum for providing the indoor Market space! :)

Spoonriver Announces Free Range Speed Dating - Coming in January

Here's a neat twist on the speed dating concept - Free Range Speed Dating at Spoonriver.  There are six dates scheduled, and each event will cater to a specific demographic, as listed in the below graphic. Sounds like a fun way to meet someone in your age range who also shares your interests.

Saturday: Indoor Mill City Farmers Market at the Mill City Museum

The Mill City Farmers Market will be overflowing with holiday goodies from 10:00am to 1:00pm Saturday, December 14.  Shop in the comfort of the Mill City Museum, have a bite to eat, reconnect with neighbors. :)

Registration Now Open for the Next Hennepin County Citizens Academy

The Hennepin County Citizens Academy begins Wednesday, March 19, 2014, and runs through May 7, 2014.  The seven weekly Wednesday sessions meet 6:30-9:00 p.m. and are held at a variety of facilities throughout the county, including in the cities of Bloomington, Medina, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, and Plymouth.  It's offered free to the public and provides residents the opportunity to meet in person with county government leaders and learn about all the services that keep employees busy year round. You will have the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of many of our facilities. Applicants must be at least eighteen (18) years old.

Tickets go very fast - register here.

KSTP Segment: New Plan to Prevent Graffiti on Grain Belt Beer Sign

Minneapolis Parks Foundation Releases Water Works Park Community Input Survey

Via a December 10 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

Community members invited to participate, Dec. 10, 2013 – Jan. 10, 2014

Minneapolis, Minn. – “What would make a new park on the Minneapolis Central Riverfront a top destination for you?” That’s the big question at the heart of a new community input survey released today by the Minneapolis Parks Foundation (MPF) and its Water Works park project partner, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB). Community members can access the survey through January 10, 2014, via MPF and MPRB websites, or at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/waterworksinput.

Water Works is a future year-round destination park on the Mississippi Riverfront in the heart of Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota. It’s a Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board-owned site overlooking the great river’s only true waterfall – St. Anthony Falls. Before any European settlement of the area, the river, especially the falls, were spiritual destinations for Native Americans. This powerful natural force is also where Minneapolis was established and, for over a century, the milling industry flourished. Today, it is situated on the edge of downtown Minneapolis within both a growing mixed-use neighborhood and the St. Anthony Falls Heritage District.

Part of the future Water Works park will be incorporated into Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park, which is already rich in natural features rare in such an urban setting. The Regional Park draws 1.8 million visitors a year to experience the waterfall and explore built features such as the elegant Stone Arch Bridge, Mill Ruins Park, the Mill City Museum and Lock and Dam.

The Water Works community input survey is part of a broader comprehensive community engagement strategy developed by MPRB to involve the public in Central Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan revision process. Water Works is one of the key sites within the Central Riverfront Regional Park. Community members have the opportunity to share current interests and activities, as well as what kinds of experiences they’d like to have in the future park.

“By participating in this survey, the public helps Water Works partners and designers better understand the interests, needs and values that the community wants to see reflected in the design of the new park,” says Mary deLaittre, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

MPF and MPRB will share survey responses with the Water Works Design Team, as well as the Community and Technical Advisory Committees assembled by MPRB to inform in the Central Riverfront Regional Park Master Planning process. Responses will also be posted on the MPF blog, at http://MplsParksFoundation.org/blog, and made available by MPRB.

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is co-leading Water Works park design with MPRB. This project phase, called schematic design, is being wholly funded by donations and foundation grants to the Water Works Fund at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, an independent nonprofit.

About the Minneapolis Parks Foundation
The Minneapolis Parks Foundation helps ensure the health of the Twin Cities by creating the Next Generation of Parks™ to enjoy today and for generations to come. We are the private-sector leader of the RiverFirst Initiative and Water Works, two design-based adaptive reuse parks projects on "America's fourth coast,” the Mississippi River. Our Next Generation of Parks™ Lecture Series introduces the most innovative parks designers globally to the Twin Cities for free interactive presentations and engage in dialogue with stakeholders and communities. We also seek to empower the next generation of parks designers and citizen-planners through our SiteSeeing urban design curriculum.

About the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
With 182 park properties totaling nearly 6,732 acres of land and water, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board provides places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather, celebrate, contemplate, and engage in activities that promote health, well-being, community, and the environment. Each year, approximately 18 million visits are made to the nationally acclaimed Minneapolis park system. Its urban forests, natural areas and waters endure and captivate. Its Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway, neighborhood parks, recreation centers and diversified programming have made the Minneapolis park system an important component of what makes Minneapolis a great place to live, play and work. To learn more about the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, visit http://www.minneapolisparks.org.

# # #

Water Works is Supported By:
St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board | Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation
Pentair Foundation | Many Generous Donors

Additional Funding Provided By:
McKnight Foundation | George Family Foundation| Curtis L. Carlson Foundation

Contact:
Janette Aldrich Law 
Director – External Relations
Minneapolis Parks Foundation 
Email: janette@mplsparksfoundation.org
Phone 612-822-3407

Dawn Sommers
Communications & Marketing
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Email: dsommers@minneapolisparks.org
Office: 612-230-6407
Cell:612-221-9155

Fun Holiday Gift Ideas from the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board

Our friends at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) would like to remind everyone that they offer unique gifts that will delight loved ones and help support the parks.

Their gift cards can be applied toward outdoor fun at the Wirth Winter Recreation Area, health and fitness activities, environmental programs, cross-country skiing passes, snowboarding, golf, and dog parks. How about an annual parking permit for easy access to parks, gardens and trails?

Click to view the MPRB Holiday Gift Guide.

DID Requests Participation in the Annual Downtown Minneapolis Perception Survey

The Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) is hosting the Annual Downtown Minneapolis Perception Survey.  They request we participate in this survey and forward the below link to residents, fellow employees/colleagues, students, etc., to help the Minneapolis DID collect much needed feedback from the Downtown Minneapolis community.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PerceptionSurvey2013

Central Mississipp​i Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan Charrette Meetings

Via a December 4 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

Central Mississipp​i Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan Charrette Meetings

The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board will host a two-day charrette to gather public input for the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan. This is the third charrette of five for the Master Plan and will focus on Nicollet Island and its connections.  A charrette is an intensive creative session intended to generate alternative approaches to a design problem. It is a way to immerse a project team with key stakeholders and the community in a real-time, iterative learning and creative process. Please join us!

Charrette Public Meeting Day 1:

Date - 12/10/13 - Tuesday

Time - 8:00am to 10:00am

Location – Nicollet Island Pavilion – 40 Power Street, Minneapolis

Teams - Central Riverfront Master Plan Team

Meeting Info: Comment and feedback to define key site program issues, possibilities, and limitations for Nicollet Island.

Charrette Public Meeting Day 2:

Date - 12/11/13 - Wednesday

Time - 4:00pm to 5:30pm

Location - Nicollet Island Pavilion – 40 Power Street, Minneapolis

Teams - Central Riverfront Master Plan Team

Meeting Info: Review preliminary design framework plan and concepts for Nicollet Island completed during the charrette.

The Park Board encourages the public to stop by the Nicollet Island Pavilion to share ideas, concerns and priorities with the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park design team.  Later in December, ideas from this two-day charrette will be presented to the project advisory committees for discussion.

For more information, please go to the MPRB project page.

Contact:        Tyler Pederson, Landscape Architect
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
612-230-6418
tpederson@minneapolisparks.org