Stone Arch Bridge Lighting Repairs Underway

Last week we published photos of mostly dark arches on the Stone Arch Bridge.  Below is a photo taken 30 minutes ago of a crew working on repairs:

I had contacted 3rd Ward City Council Member Jacob Frey only last week to let him know about the issue, so he got things moving pretty fast, at least by City Hall standards.

"The Stone Arch Bridge is a landmark for our city, and deserves to be highlighted, literally" said Frey.  "I'm glad to see our city crews restoring what should be the centerpeice of our beautiful city" he added.

Check back to track progress on this issue.

Vikings Stadium Construction - Week 25

Footings being driven...

We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.

Volunteer at Open Streets Minneapolis on May 31st and June 8th!

Via a May 20 e-newsletter from the City of Minneapolis:

The City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition are proud to announce the launch of Open Streets Minneapolis 2014! We are just two weeks away from the first Open Streets Minneapolis event on the proposed North Minneapolis Greenway on May 31st, and closely followed by Open Streets MPLS on Lyndale Avenue on June 8th. These events are powered by volunteers, and we need you to help make this year another success. Together with over 400 volunteers in 2013, we drew approximately 30,000 people on more than six miles of streets across the city last year. Help us do it again in 2014, and sign up to volunteer today!

What is Open Streets Minneapolis?

Open Streets Minneapolis events temporarily transform major city corridors into safe, car-free places for one weekend day to give people an opportunity to enjoy the street on bicycle, foot, wheelchair, skateboard or roller skate. Each event is programmed with complementary activities such as yoga, live music and bike repair. Open Streets Minneapolis is a free and easy way to engage in physical activity, meet neighbors, and discover new businesses right in your own neighborhood. Check out the City Pages’ photos for a feel of the events.

This year Open Streets Minneapolis will be hosted on:

The proposed North Minneapolis Greenway (May 31st)
Lyndale Avenue (June 8th)
Central Avenue NE (July 27th)
Franklin Avenue (August 17th)
Nicollet Avenue (September 14th)
Lowry Avenue N (September 20th)
How can you get involved?

Volunteers can help with everything from rolling out sod for the greenway experience to facilitating chalk art activities as a street monitor, and helping us keep the street clean and car free. We need over 250 volunteers to sign up for the first two Open Streets Minneapolis events of the year. Help us kick off the summer right by volunteering for a couple hours at the first Open Streets MPLS event on May 31st for the North Minneapolis Greenway Experience or the Lyndale event on June 8th! You choose the location, the time, and what you’ll do -- we give you a t-shirt, a volunteer appreciation party, and a lot of high fives. Couldn't get much better than that.

Want to do more?

It’s fun to volunteer with friends. Bring a team from work, a group of your friends, or your family clan to volunteer for a shift! We can coordinate times and tasks for your crew -- just contact us at volunteer@mplsbike.org or at 612.810.0079. And help us spread the word by sharing this link!

Thanks so much to all our volunteers. To learn more, visit openstreetsmpls.com or contact Beth Wagner at Volunteer@mplsbike.org.

Krause Liquor Store Appealed by Minneapolis Zoning & Planning Committee

The Zoning & Planning Committee denied an appeal by concerned citizens seeking to block a proposed liquor store near the Mississippi River on Broadway N.E.

Watch the Video (hearing starts at 2 minutes, 20 secs.):

Lock Closure Bill Headed for a Vote

Klobuchar, Franken, Ellison, Paulsen, Walz, Nolan Provision to Keep Invasive Carp Out of Minnesota’s Waterways Included in Final Water Infrastructure Bill

The bipartisan provision, which will now go to the full Senate and House of Representatives for final approval, would help fight the spread of invasive carp by closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock within one year

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar along with U.S. Senator Al Franken and U.S. Representatives Keith Ellison, Erik Paulsen, Tim Walz and Rick Nolan announced today that their bipartisan provision to keep invasive carp out of Minnesota’s waterways has been included in the final water infrastructure conference bill. The provision, authored by Klobuchar in the Senate and Ellison in the House, would help fight the spread of invasive carp – also known as Asian carp – by closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock within one year. It will now go to the full Senate and House of Representatives for final approval.

“The spread of invasive carp poses a major threat not only to Minnesota’s environment, but also the recreation and fishing industries that help power our state’s economy and create jobs,” Klobuchar said. “I fought hard to include this critical lock closure provision in the final bill so we can stop these invasive species in their tracks.”

“Invasive carp in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers would prove disastrous for our fishing, boating, and tourism industries, which support thousands of jobs and contribute so much to our state’s economy,” said Franken. “I'm very pleased that our bipartisan measure to control and prevent the spread of these carp in Minnesota is one step closer to becoming law.”

 

“I’m proud that a bipartisan and bicameral push to protect Minnesota’s waterways from invasive carp will soon be headed to the president’s desk,” Rep. Ellison said. “Closing the little-used St. Anthony Falls Lock is the best way for us to slow the spread of invasive carp in Minnesota and to protect the natural resources that are critical to Minnesota’s economy and our way of life.” 

 

“Time is running out to stop Asian carp from jeopardizing Minnesota’s ecological and economic health,” Rep. Paulsen said. “The provision included in the WRDA conference report is important to help prevent the spread of invasive species in our lakes, streams, and rivers.”    

 

"These invasive carp pose a serious threat to Minnesota's waterways and our multi-billion dollar tourism and sportsmen industry," Rep. Walz said. "We must do all we can to stop them in their tracks. I'm pleased this provision was included in the WRDA conference report but the fight doesn’t end here, it begins here. We must stay on the offensive if we are to eliminate not only the threat of invasive carp, but the hundreds of other invasive species that hazard our waters.”

 

“Closing the lock and dam at St. Anthony Falls is our best and last chance to prevent Asian carp from invading the Mississippi watershed and destroying its native habitat,” Nolan said. “I'm pleased that this bill also includes my companion amendment redefining "invasive species" to include animal life as well as plants, adding another weapon to our arsenal in the fight against Asian carp, zebra mussels, and hundreds of other invasive species that threaten our Great Lakes and Minnesota waters.”

 

The provision is supported by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Audubon Minnesota Waters, Minnesota Seasonal Recreational Property Owners, Anglers for Habitat, Clean Water Action, Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations, National Wildlife Federation, Fish & Wildlife Legislative Alliance, Mississippi River Fund, Minnesota Division Izaak Walton League of America, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Trout Unlimited, National Parks Conservation Association, and Friends of the Mississippi River.

West Bank Interpretive Plan Meeting June 3

From MPRB:

Dear Neighbors,

The St Anthony Fall Heritage Board is currently conducting an interpretive study of the West Bank area of Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park.  There will be an advisory committee meeting to gather input for this plan on June 3, 2014.  This West Bank effort is similar to the East Bank Interpretive Plan completed last fall.  This plan is funded by the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.  The meeting is open to the public. Please join us!

Excerpt from the East Bank Interpretive Plan: “This plan builds on years of research and many proposed visions for the St. Anthony Falls area. In particular, The Power of the Falls: Renewing the Vision for St. Anthony Falls Heritage Zone (2009) sets forth a set of interpretive themes that acknowledge the value of reflection and personal experience in learning about this important place in our history.”

Optional CAC/TAC Meeting for the West Bank Interpretive Plan

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

6:00pm to 7:30pm

MPRB Headquarters – 2117 West River Road North  - Board Room

Link to the map of the West Bank Interpretive Plan study area:

https://app.box.com/shared/static/3xkwl9qsonb6s1iaxzh7.pdf

Week 2 at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market

At the May 17 Market we picked up some beautiful basil, rosemary and cilantro plants for our balcony herb garden from Loon Organics. Shoppers with regular garden plots to fill had a vast selection of healthy plants and seed potatoes to choose from.  University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners were on hand to answer questions.

Plus all of the usual good stuff...

How a trip to the Market makes us feel:

Tickets go on Sale Monday, May 19, for the Mill City Summer Opera presentation of TOSCA!

Mill City Summer Opera returns for its third season in the Mill City Museum’s dramatic Ruin Courtyard with Puccini’s tragic and spellbinding masterpiece, Tosca.  Scheduled for 7:30pm on July 12, 13, 16, 18, 20, and 22.

Artistic Director David Lefkowich and music director Brian DeMaris return to lead another first-rate design team and cast, featuring Mill City favorites Jill Gardner as Tosca and her husband Jake Gardner as the villainous Scarpia. This summer’s production will reunite Ms. Gardner with the exciting tenor Dinyar Vania, reprising the role of Cavaradossi. The two first played the ill-fated lovers opposite one another in an acclaimed 2013 production with Lyric Opera Baltimore.

Ticket information:  http://www.millcitymuseum.org/opera

Northern Spark 2014 - Update #8

Balancing Ground Shares Wisdom in Whispered Voices

Balance is rest
Balance is accomplishment
Balance is a point of departure
Balance is equality between knowing why and knowing how
-Artist Bill Cottman, in an interview with Project Lead Amanda Lovelee for Balancing Ground, 2014.

These words from Bill Cottman (whose project beyond the LOOP will also premier at Northern Spark) and many others speaking about balance will be part of the gently-immersive auditory experience of Balancing Ground, winner of the 2014 Creative City Challenge.

Balancing Ground will be unveiled on June 14 as part of the Opening Ceremony for Northern Spark. The installation's prismatic light and sound elements create a space for contemplating balance, that state of equilibrium that eludes so many of us caught up in the "culture of busy."

The project's large, open structure, suggestive of both a forest and a church, will hold a set of specially-developed seesaws and reclaimed wood benches.  Words and phrases related to balance are triggered as participants play with the physical act of finding balance on the seesaws, while specialized directional speakers play longer fragments of conversations and interviews about balance in tight, narrow beams of sound that can be heard only in specific areas. Balancing Ground is presented by the Minneapolis Convention Center and the Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Program of the City of Minneapolis in collaboration with Northern Lights.mn.

American Craft Council Pays Homage to Kubler and Considers Art and Craft

The American Craft Council celebrates the connection between the makers, the materials, and the enthusiasts whose lives are enriched by unique, handmade works of art. This year ACC is presenting a participatory textile work by Chicago-based artist Andy Hall at Northern Spark.

In Outdoor Activity for George Kubler, Hall invites participants to dye silk fabric with him as he playfully examines Kubler’s notion of useful inventions vs. artistic inventions using the ubiquitous form of the plastic shopping bag.

Over the duration of Northern Spark a large bolt of raw Habotai Silk will be transformed into an array of vibrantly colored painted textiles. The textiles will be steam set, sewn into a series of iconic tote bags, and strung up above the site for display and dispersal.

Hall will collaborate with festival participants to apply dye to the silk using methods that stimulate an awareness of bodily possibility, the physical nature of the materials, the temporal dimensions of process, and the perception of the maker. The assembly line-like installation, beginning with raw material and dispensing vividly colored silk totes, help asks questions about process, material quality, and product.

Tomorrow, May 17: Target Field Station Grand Opening

Join the Target Field Station grand opening celebration Saturday, May 17, from 1 p.m. until game time. Target Field Station a bustling urban park, transit station and neighborhood gathering space. This one-of-a-kind destination will connect approximately 500 trains arriving and departing daily via the METRO Blue Line (Hiawatha LRT), METRO Green Line (Central Corridor LRT) and Northstar Commuter Rail, as well as more than 1,900 daily bus trips, and miles of bike and walking trails.

There will be a ribbon cutting at the station platform followed by a short program emceed by Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin.

Speakers include:

■ U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
■ U.S. Representative Keith Ellison
■ Mike Opat, Hennepin County Board Chair
■ Jim Pohlad, United Properties and Minnesota Twins
■ Dan Griffis, vice president, Experiential Marketing and Alliances, Target
■ Derrell Turner, Federal Highway Administration
■ Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle
■ Minnesota Representative Alice Hausman
■ Minnesota Senator Scott Dibble and Minnesota Representative Frank Hornstein
■ Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh
■ Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges
■ Ed Hunter, Director of Interchange Project Office, Red Hawk Consulting

Peter Cavaluzzi FAIA, Principal at EE&K, a Perkins Eastman company, and lead design architect for Target Field Station, will be available for in-person interviews May 15-18.

Schedule

■ 1 – 1:45 p.m. -- Choo Choo Bob (Amphitheater)
■ 2 – 2:45 p.m. -- Alex Rossi and the Root City Band (Amphitheater)
■ 3 p.m. -- Ribbon cutting ceremony (east side of light rail platform)
■ 3:05 p.m. -- The first train departs from Target Field Station (light rail platform)
■ 3:15 – 4 p.m. -- Speakers – presentation (Amphitheater)
■ 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. -- Gear Daddies (Amphitheater)
■ 5:30 p.m. – game time -- Young Ry (Amphitheater)

Target will offer visitors a chance to take commemorative photos in an old-fashioned train cutout.

Tonight, May 15: Downtown East Redevelopment Project Update at Open Book

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Please join the East Downtown Council, along with the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA), the Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc (EPNi), and the Mill District Neighborhood Association (MDNA) to hear an update on the progress being made on Ryan Companies Downtown East Redevelopment Project.

Guest presenters will include Rick Collins, Mike Ryan, Tony Barranco and Jeremy Jacobs from Ryan Companies. The four-some will provide an update on the following items:

• Status of building demolition, along with future demolition activity;
• Status of preservation of historic "medallions" from Star Tribune 425 Portland Avenue building;
• Construction schedule;
• Status update on Air Rights Development project; and
• Where to look for updates on the project.

AGENDA

1. 6:30 pm - Welcome and introductions by EDC President Dan Collison
2. 6:45 pm - Downtown East redevelopment project update by Ryan Companies
3. 7:30 pm - Q&A moderated by EDC President Dan Collison
4. 8:00 pm - Announcements and Adjournment

*Note: This meeting will be the only Mill District Neighborhood meeting for May. The June meeting will be at the Mill City Museum on the 3rd Monday as usual.

2014 Mill City Live Schedule

Mill City Live returns for its eleventh season with four outdoor concerts on Wednesday evenings in August.

Set in the museum's dramatic open air Ruin Courtyard, "Mill City Live" features four great evenings of outdoor music by top local artists. 

• Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Fee: $5 includes concert and museum admission from 4 to 9 p.m., an opportunity to visit Mill City Museum at a significant discount.  Free for Minnesota Historical Society members.  
• In case of rain, Mill City Live goes on indoors! 

August 6th, 6-8pm

Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders

Blues, roots

 

 

 Crankshaft (a.k.a. Alex Larson) has been forging his own brand of high-energy, low-brow, upper Mississippi blues, a new genre of music he likes to call "Pork Neck" since 2008.

 Performing and as the leader of his trio, Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders, fans of Mill City Live can expect a new breed of foot stompin' country blues that appeals to young and old alike.  Crankshaft writes great songs, and sings them with passion. The energy at his live shows is undeniable, and he won't rest until everyone in the room is rockin' and rollin' with him." - Page Burkum, The Cactus Blossums

 

August 13th, 6-8pm            

The Cloak Ox

Indie Rock

 

 

   The Cloak Ox is made up of indie rock vets Andrew Broder and longtime friends and sometimes bandmates Jeremy Ylvisaker, Mark Erickson and Martin Dosh. In 2011 the group topped City Pages new artist Picked to Click list and in 2013 their full length Shoot the Dog made top ten lists by the Star Tribune and City Pages.  “Shoot the Dog is loaded with the nervous, sensory-grinding energy of urban life…and the jaggedy frayed art-rock noodling of bands like Television and latter-day Wilco.”

   -Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune

 

August 20th, 6-8pm

Bethany Larson & the Bees Knees

Country, rock

 

 

   Bethany Larson and The Bee's Knees, one of Twin Cities best kept secrets as declared by Twin Cities Metro, brings a preacher’s daughter from Austin, Minn. to the local music scene. In the process of recording her sophomore album she joined forces with the "Bee’s Knees" – her brother Chris Larson on guitar, keyboards and backing vocals, Sara Horishnyk on drums and Sam Johnson on bass.  “…Bethany’s voice has evolved beautifully: as much Ella Fitzgerald and Juliette Greco as Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams. Bethany’s lyrics about love and heartbreak have a worldly sophistication and the band has fleshed out unique and sweet arrangements that both swoon and rock.”  –Adam Levy, The Honeydogs

 

August 27th, 6-8pm      

Actual Wolf

Folk Rock

 

 

  Grand Rapids native Eric Pollard (a.k.a. Actual Wolf) has been the drummer for Retribution Gospel Choir and others. As a singer song-writer, his self-titled full-length debut made the top 10 local releases in the 2013 Star Tribune Critics Tally, and he was named Best Minneapolis Songwriter by City Pages in 2013.

   “Actual Wolf  packages his couplets into arrangements that recall Neil Young's sonic grit and Elton John's soaring glitz. Don't be surprised if experiencing Actual Wolf gets your own eyes a little misty." -City Pages

Public Hearing for Urban Agricultur​e Activity Plan at MPRB May 21

Via a May 12 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Planning Committee will hold a public hearing for the Urban Agriculture activity plan on Wednesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the MPRB Headquarters Building, 2117 W. River Rd., Minneapolis. If adopted by the Planning Committee that evening, the activity plan will be forwarded to the full MPRB Board of Commissioners for consideration.

All attending the public hearing will have an opportunity share comments about the plan. If you wish to speak at the hearing, there will be a sign-up sheet located directly outside the board room and you will have until 6:25 PM that evening to sign up to speak. If you require language translation or other accommodations, please call 612-230-6472 at least two business days before the hearing.

The Urban Agriculture activity plan was developed through an extensive community engagement process and contains recommendations related to policy, facility, program, and service improvements to better support urban agriculture activities within the park system.

Activity plans define the MPRB’s service delivery goals for a particular recreation activity city-wide. These plans determine the resources required to successfully achieve plan goals in service to residents and park visitors.

Community outreach and research, trend analysis, program analysis, and infrastructure assessment is used to develop service delivery goals for all MPRB’s Activity Plans. The development of the Urban Agriculture activity plan is supported by the Board of Commissioners and directly linked to the goals of the MPRB Comprehensive Plan.

For more information, please visit the Project Page on the MPRB website.

Stone Arch Bridge Going Dark

We were first alerted to this a few months ago by Riverfront redevelopment pioneer Peggy Lucas, who sent us a photo showing a few arches on the Stone Arch Bridge gone dark.  The lighting has deteriorated rapidly since then, to the point that most of the lighting has gone dark.

Stone Arch Bridge today:

Stone Arch Bridge 2 Years Ago:

Pillsbury Mill Complex Lighting Up

A preview of what the skyline will look like when the Pillsbury redevelopment is done.  It's been a long time since these windows have been lit up at night!

Vikings Stadium Construction - Week 24

Slowly, but surely...

We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.

Week 1 at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market

It was a glorious opening day at the 2014 Market - thank you Mother Nature!  In addition to reconnecting with our vendor friends from previous years, it was also fun meeting new vendors, including Driftless Organics, Seed to Seed Farm, Sunrise Creative Gourmet, Verdant Tea and Fresh Mud Pottery, and new Market Sponsor, The Wedge Community Co-op. 

Look for new Vendor and Sponsor spotlights in the coming weeks on our Farmers Market blog.

Happy to be back! :D

May 10 Market Album.

Northern Spark 2014 - Update #7

Insects Find a Temporary Home in Hotel Hotel

Hotel Hotel is a poetic exploration of the relationship between living organisms and architecture. This collaboration by Ben Moren, Kate Casanova and Daniel Dean reflects on the transience of life in the city, on temporary abodes, on sentient inhabitants, on occupying and moving through space, and on the interactions that occur in transit. Hotel Hotel’s occupants are species of insects, such as caterpillars, ants, and moths. They inhabit the intensely colored rooms that dramatically contrast their individual colors and movements. In Hotel Hotel, the insects are anthropomorphized yet remain alien. This project inserts these distinct species into the center of an imagined urban interior.

In Hotel Hotel, the projection functions architecturally as virtual space, allowing the viewer to experience scale in an unexpected way. Through the magic of projection, we see these insects populate a building, metaphorically embodying the complexity of peoples, customs, cultures, and individual traits that make up the citizens of contemporary cities.

Asia Ward's Electric Hopscotch Playfully Illuminates Convention Center Plaza

Electric Hopscotch is a glowing electronic twist on the classic jump and skip game. In Electric Hopscotch, the interaction between players is a physical dance of memory, ranging from simple steps to complicated jumps. Instead of chalked squares on the pavement, players position “jump-pads” in any order or direction they prefer. The jump-pads contain electronic memory sensors, outlined with glowing surface-mounted LEDs.  

To play Electric Hopscotch, a person completes a sequence of jumps and skips on the pads from start to finish. The pads remember the sequence of jumps and play back the order by lighting up in sequence. One player at a time—and then whoever wants to accept the challenge can try to replicate your rad jump and skip moves! 

Asia Ward is a Minnesota-based artist and educator whose work ranges from animatronic creatures to large-scale metal sculptures and aluminum dioramas. A past Art(ists) on the Verge fellow, Ward loves to show others how to work with basic circuitry, computer game programming, stop motion animation, and hacked sensors and toys, and has given workshops for all ages at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Murray State University in Kentucky, and the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Tomorrow: Opening Day of the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market Season!

Join your neighbors for opening day at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market!  Celebrate the much awaited spring season, farm-fresh foods, local fine arts and crafts, and honor moms with spring flowers and family friendly activities. 8:00am - 1:00pm

Produce Planner: At the Market this Saturday, you will find: sweet sugar pea shoots, micro greens, herbs, arugula, spinach, carrots, rhubarb, beets, mesclun mix, radishes, starter plants, hanging baskets and patio pots, lots of bedding plants, plenty of SEED STARTS: summer squash, melon/watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and more!

Mini-farm, all day: With furry creatures from Oliver H. Kelley Farm.

Mill City Cooks, 10am: Don’t miss this special kitchen demo with Market Chef Heather Hartman, who will be assisted by her daughter Josephine in honor of Mother’s Day!

Live Music, 11am – 1pm: Daddy Squeeze.

Art Market, All Day: Featuring Fresh Mud, Christy Wetzig, Larissa Loden, and Old World Cabinet.

Community Booth: Budding Farmers. This local nonprofit organization is an innovative enrichment program that connects children with the healthy food found at their local participating Farmers Market or participating Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm! Stop by and see their cool Budding Farmers Fun Books!

Sponsors: Thank you to today’s sponsor Wedge Community Co-op!

Plus, check out these new vendors for 2014:

Chisago Lakes Berry Basket will bring an ambrosial assortment of strawberry varieties come late-June, Driftless Organics adds sunflower and pumpkin seed oil to market's offerings, Seed to Seed Farm brings us locally harvested artichokes, ginger, lemongrass, and more, Seven Songs Organic Farm presents ginger, turmeric, and garlic varieties, Sunrise Creative Gourmet offers fresh, frozen, and dry pastas, Verdant Tea introduces locally brewed kombucha, chai tea, and specialty loose leaf teas, Zula Juice provides ready-to-drink organic cold-pressed juices and cleanses, and Red Table Meat Co. will bring dry-cured pork products to the Market in late-June!

We're also excited to welcome our Mill District neighbor, Julia Timm, of Fresh Mud Pottery as a new art vendor for the 2014 season.  :D

Minnesota Super Bowl Bid Committee Submits Final Bid For Super Bowl LII

Via the Minnesota Vikings' website:

Minneapolis, MN (May 7, 2014) – The Minnesota Super Bowl Bid Committee has submitted its final bid to host Super Bowl LII in 2018. Delivered to all 32 NFL owners on tablets containing a Super Bowl LII app, the bid provides a preview to the final May 20 presentation.

“We have a great story to tell about the state of Minnesota,” said Richard Davis, chief executive officer of U.S. Bank and bid committee co-chair. “Today we delivered that story to all 32 NFL owners and made our best case for bringing Super Bowl LII to our region in 2018. We appreciate the energy and effort that has gone into this process from our community and business leaders to ensure that we submitted an extremely comprehensive and competitive bid.”

The final bid submission follows last month’s preliminary submission and contains details on all aspects of Super Bowl Week – event venue options, transportation and parking, lodging, security procedures, team practice sites and more. Highlights from the bid include:

• More than 180 hotels from throughout the region accounting for over 19,000 hotel rooms.
• 48 different venue options throughout Bloomington, Minneapolis and St. Paul identified for potential use during Super Bowl Week.
• Outstanding practice sites for the two competing teams.
• Strong connectivity through a variety of transportation options, including light rail, Park & Ride system, four airports, and eight miles of skyway.
• Integration of winter festivities into a branded celebration with a Super Bowl twist in 2018, including a flagship event at the St. Paul Winter Carnival.
• An NFL Legacy Program that will provide $2 million toward Minnesota charities that enhance the health, wellness and safety of children.

“We submitted a great bid that highlights all we have to offer,” said Doug Baker, chief executive officer of Ecolab and bid committee co-chair. “Our highly engaged community, great event venues, tremendous hospitality infrastructure, world-class transportation and airport facilities, unique skyway system and, of course, our new, best-in-class, iconic stadium are all strengths of our bid.”

“As the host community in 1992, we proposed to the NFL a legacy component that would live on beyond the game and since then has become a major component in Super Bowl bids,” said Marilyn Carlson-Nelson, former chairman and chief executive officer of Carlson Companies and bid committee co-chair. “It’s only fitting that 26 years later we will once again have an opportunity to work with the NFL to carry out a new community legacy that will have a positive impact on Minnesota children.”

NFL owners will vote on the final site for the February 2018 game on Tuesday, May 20. Details for media availability on May 19-20 will be forthcoming.

Watch video