Mpls Downtown Improvement District Announces 2022 Greening & Public Realm Award Winners

The Mpls Downtown Improvement District (DID) announced its Greening & Public Realm Award winners, a group decided by an interactive public vote that includes three first-time winners among the seven categories.  

The Greening & Public Realm Awards aim to showcase the greening efforts by local organizations and companies that help beautify downtown and its surrounding areas through enhancing our urban landscape.  

This year’s first-time award winners include the Prince Mural by Hiero Veiga, The Freehouse (Best Entryway/Outdoor Café) and Water Works Park (Best Public Realm Improvement).  

Loring Greenway won a Greening & Public Realm Award for a record 11th straight year – including winning Best Large Green Space for the sixth year in a row. The Loring Park Neighborhood also took home the prize for Best Neighborhood Greening for the sixth year in a row as well. Peavey Plaza won its second straight Greening & Public Realm Award (Best Activated Space) and Gateway Park took home the award for Best Small Green Space for the second year in a row.  

“After a two-year hiatus, we’re excited to celebrate this year’s Greening and Public Realm Award winners and especially excited to add two new winners to our past award recipients,” says Steve Cramer, President & CEO of the Mpls Downtown Improvement District. “We value all efforts to enhance downtown’s beauty and vibrancy. Congratulations to this year’s winners—your contributions to our city’s core are greatly appreciated.”  

Greening & Public Realm Award winners will receive a commemorative plaque created by Wood from the Hood, a Minneapolis-based company that reclaims discarded trees from urban neighborhoods and creates high-quality wood products. Each award will display the year the award was issued and the category that was won. Winning locations will also receive a Greening & Public Realm Awards winner sign to designate their award-winning greenery.  

Finalists for the Greening & Public Realm Awards were announced on July 25. Public voting for finalists remained open through August 15. 

The finalists were selected and categorized by members of the Mpls DID staff based on criteria including overall year-over-year enhancements as well as continued excellence in their efforts to increase vibrancy in the public realm.  

This year’s results include the following winners:

Small Green Space Winner:  Gateway Park

Large Green Space:  Loring Greenway

Public Art Winners:  Prince Mural, Bob Dylan Mural

Activated Space Winner:  Peavey Plaza

Entryway and Outdoor Cafe Greening Winner:  The Freehouse

Public Realm Improvement Winner:  Water Works Park

Best Neighborhood Winner:  Loring Park

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More information and list of finalists can be found here: www.mplsdid.com/greeningawards.

21st Annual Autumn Brew Review Festival Returns to Boom Island October 15th

Enjoy fall releases and winter warmers at the 21st Annual Autumn Brew Review Festival

On October 15 brewers from across Minnesota will gather for one of the oldest and coziest annual celebrations of craft beer in the state.

Celebrate the autumn season with brewers and thousands of fellow beer lovers at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis. Craft beer fans and attendees of this afternoon festival can enjoy s’mores, live music, and bonfires in the golden hour light as they sample unlimited special seasonal releases, classic favorites, non-alcoholic beverages, and gluten-free options from 95+ breweries and brewpubs, all with scenic views of the downtown Minneapolis skyline as a backdrop. 

In its 21st year, Autumn Brew Review is one of the state’s oldest beer festivals. This uniquely Minnesotan fest highlights the variety of styles brewed by local businesses from around the state. Like other MNCBG festivals, ABR exclusively showcases the talent of Minnesota breweries and brewpubs and features games and activities created and led by the breweries themselves.

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The 2022 Autumn Brew Review festival will feature:

● Unlimited samples from 95+ Minnesota breweries, brewpubs, and cideries

● Autumn games and activities led by MN brewers and brewery staff

● Live DJ set by The Current

● Bonfires and s’mores

● Food trucks and local artisans

● Best of Fest awards - voted on by attendees

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Regular tickets are $60, sober-driver tickets are $15, and VIP early-access tickets are available to members of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild MNthusiast program. Tickets, event details, participating breweries, and MNthusiast membership information can be found online at mncraftbrew.org/ABR.

Weekly Events at Peavey Plaza September 12-17

Green Minneapolis is excited to host these events, free and open to all!

YWCA Minneapolis Yoga on the Plaza

Tuesday, September 13 from 5:30-6:30pm

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Flow into summer with FREE yoga classes at Peavey Plaza (weather permitting). Bring a water, mat and towel. Members and nonmembers are welcome to attend. Nonmembers that attend receive a FREE three-day trial fitness pass to any of our three fitness locations. Plus, join YWCA Minneapolis as a member for just $15! Registration recommended

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MNspin Musician of the Week: Ray Barnard

Thursday, September 15 from 12-1pm 

Ray Barnard and Clark Adams do original Roots & Soul music. And with the help of Blair Krivanek, Nick Salisbury, and, Greg Schutte, they do it as well as anybody. They meet at the intersection of smart, pretty, and groovy.

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Joe Davis & The Poetic Diaspora

Friday, September 16 at 6-7:30pm

Journeying through the sonically diverse realms of old school and new school hip hop, R&B, funk, and soul, Joe Davis & The Poetic Diaspora seamlessly blend melodic harmonies, smooth instrumentation, and raw, poetic energy to tell stories of struggle, resilience, and celebration. Formed in the heart of the Twin Cities, the collective is dedicated to crafting vibrant soundscapes around honest narratives that reflect their community’s sacred humanity. Each song is an ancestral echo, a battle cry calling for freedom, an unending dance for justice and joy, welcoming all of the diaspora home.

Children’s Theatre Company Story Theatre 

Saturday, September 17 at 12-12:30pm & 12:30-1pm

Join Children’s Theatre Company for summertime fun at Peavey Plaza! Through imaginative play, collaborative storytelling, music, and family engagement, we’ll explore beloved children’s books together. Laugh, dance, and discover along with your family and friends.

For a complete calendar of Peavey Plaza Performing Arts Series, visit greenminneapolis.org/events.

September 10th Trip to the Mill City Farmers Market

On our September 10th trip to the Mill City Farmers Market we were lucky enough to get one of the last watermelons from Nistler Farms, as well as the last of the season's sweet corn from Bean Market. Slow Burn had some very cool Día de los Muertos beeswax candles. The blended salsa from Atacama Catering is the perfect sauce to pour over a batch of roasted squash/peppers/onions/garlic (and their cookies and empanadas are to die for!). Mary Dirty Face Farm had an extensive array of apples. We picked up some Ginger Golds.

West River Parkway to Closes Between 4th Ave N and Portland Ave September 12-16 for Maintenance

West River Parkway is scheduled to close between 4th Avenue N and Portland Avenue beginning Monday, Sept. 12 for catch basin repairs performed by City of Minneapolis Public Works. The closure is expected to last up to five days.

Trails and the Stone Arch Bridge parking lot will remain open. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board appreciates the public's patience while public infrastructure is repaired.

New Vincent Francoual Restaurant Coming to the Former Bacon Social House Location

Chef Vincent Francoual, Photo: Restore Restaurant HoldingsSherman Associates and Restore Restaurant Holdings (RRH) recently announced RRH has signed a lease for the 3,000 square foot ground floor restaurant space at 700 S 3rd Street, adjacent to the Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District hotel. The space will be home to a new casual-dining concept being created by Chef Vincent Francoual in coordination with RRH.

Chef Vincent was the namesake and creative force behind Vincent, A Restaurant, which was frequently named the “the best French restaurant” in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area during its 14-year run. The new restaurant will not be a reboot of Vincent, A Restaurant, Chef Vincent emphasized, but rather a new take on a casual French restaurant featuring the foods Chef Vincent loves cooking for his own family.

The restaurant space is in the heart of Sherman Associates’ redevelopment of the Mill District which includes over 1,000 housing units completed or under construction, two hotels, and its new office headquarters.

“Over the past year, our vision has been to create a restaurant hub in the Mill District,” said Ben Kepple, director of commercial leasing at Sherman Associates. “We’re excited to welcome RRH and Chef Vincent as the first of many exciting new food and beverage concepts to the neighborhood.”

Restore Restaurant Holdings is a recently formed group pioneering a new way of running a restaurant company by collaborating with successful restaurateurs to rebuild the hospitality business in downtown Minneapolis and surrounding areas. RRH is headed by co-founders attorney Dennis Monroe and his son, Matthew Monroe, along with Francoual. Also, part of the team is restaurateur Erik Forsberg, owner of Devil’s Advocate, Dan Kelly’s Pub, Joseph’s Restaurant, and Erik the Red.

Additional details about the new Chef Vincent restaurant will be released as the date for the grand opening, expected later this fall, approaches.

Chef Vincent, who is now heading up the kitchen at EaTo, is excited to get back to his French roots: "I believe that French food and a French restaurant can be a casual concept, as is the case with other ethnic food, and can be served in a way that is more carefree and incorporates shareable dishes," Francoual said. “I look forward to bringing this idea to the people of Minnesota soon.”

MacPhail Center for Music Announces 2022-23 Spotlight Series

The September 24th concert will feature Jendayi Berry, and include a live painting on the stage as performances by Julia and Irina Elkina, Iris Shiraishi and Michael Cain take place.

MacPhail Center for Music has announced the 2022-23 Spotlight Series: Musical Explorations in Spectral Colors. This collaborative series of performances will build pathways in the artistic community by unifying the two captivating mediums of visual art and music.

Jendayi BerryPer Spotlight Artistic Director Mischa Santora, “I am so thrilled about the continuing journey with the Spotlight Concert Series, as we keep building new artistic connections in our community. With each new season, we have a unique opportunity to expand the scope of representation through our fantastic guest artists. Besides presenting wonderful performances, I feel we can learn so much about who we are as a community, and perhaps more importantly, where we want to go next.”

The season will showcase three important Twin Cities artists featuring Asha Belk with The Space Where Words Fail, Eyenga Bokamba with Translucent Beauty and to kick off the series Jendayi Berry will present In the Moment. Berry will put his extremely unique and alluring talents on display as he paints live on-stage rendering the musical performance into visual terms.

The first concert in the series will take place Saturday, September 24th at Antonello Hall in MacPhail’s Downtown Minneapolis location. Season subscribers will save 20% off the single ticket price and are guaranteed tickets to all three performances in September, February, and April. Season subscriptions are available for purchase up until the date of the first performance. Single tickets are also available for purchase on macphail.org.

Open Eye Theatre Announces Fall/Winter Season

Open Eye Theatre announces its Fall/Winter Season, featuring rowdy puppetry, a horrifying Halloween show on the roof at The Bakken Museum, a Mexican-American multimedia collaboration, masterful Indigenous storytelling, and a raucous musical version of A Christmas Carol! This season, audiences will see a thrilling array of original theatre, inventive puppetry, and world-class storytelling from local, national, and international artists. 

Producing Artistic Director Joel Sass officially took over the leadership helm at Open Eye in 2020 after Founder and Executive Director Susan Haas announced her departure from the organization. Since then he has successfully led Open Eye through the pandemic, commissioning and directing LOG JAM! A Paul Bunyan Musical Spectacular and HAIR BALL! A Bigfoot Musical Adventure on the roof of The Bakken Museum, and creating unique opportunities for audiences to engage with artists through outdoor spectacles, virtual performances, global online puppetry workshops, a wildly successful Driveway Tour, and PUPPET LAB residency and festival this year. In addition to creating new and exciting productions, his leadership focuses on supporting artists, fostering connections with community, and expanding the circle of those who call Open Eye a creative home.

FULL MOON PUPPET SHOW, October 21 – 23

A rowdy puppet cabaret during the full moon! Join us under the full moon for an adult, rowdy puppet cabaret. Featuring performances by some of the most innovative Twin Cities puppetry artists and live music between acts! Since 2008, FULL MOON PUPPET SHOW has been performing puppet slams throughout Minneapolis. This October, nominated artists will perform 10 minute original puppet shows to an audience encouraged to howl at the moon and cheer on each show!

HALLOWEEN @ The Bakken Museum, October 27 - 30

 Open Eye returns to The Bakken Museum for a third year of Halloween mayhem, this time with a multimedia spectacle conjured by Steve Ackerman and his team of puppet poltergeists. Ingredients in this witch’s cauldron include a gothic heavy metal band, puppet-animal sacrifice, arcane mystic rites, and comic demons summoned in a rock concert / seance / mockumentary that will delight fans of movies such as “This Is Spinal Tap” and “The Exorcist.”

SPEECHLESS | SIN PALABRAS, November 3 – 13

SPEECHLESS illuminates the extremes of both isolation and proximity between feuding neighbors who learn to overcome their conflicts and communicate across their divided community. The unique multimedia puppetry is performed without words to connect with audiences across language barriers and cultures.

Kling & Co Master Storyteller Series: BIRD BRAINED November 17 - 20

Beloved storyteller Dovie Thomason returns to Open Eye as part of Kevin Kling & Co’s Master Storyteller Series. One of the country’s most respected tale-tellers, Dovie Thomason combines her knowledge of Indigenous stories with contemporary observations in evenings of luminous storytelling, rich with tenderness and humor. Each performance is followed by an audience talk-back with the artist, hosted by Kevin Kling.

SCROOGE IN ROUGE, December 1 - 23

The Royal Music Hall Variety Players' production of A Christmas Carol is in a pickle after seventeen members of the company suddenly fall ill. This leaves the three remaining members to plow on (so to speak) through a musical performance of the Dickens classic. Expect missed cues, unfamiliar characters, and costume mishaps aplenty. With cheeky puns and bawdy songs, this quick-change, cross-dressing version of the Christmas tale is a hilarious holiday treat!

The return of PUPPET LAB this fall

Following a sold out relaunch during the PUPPET LAB Festival this year, and continuing under the leadership of co-artistic directors Oanh Vu and Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra, we will soon announce a call for applications for our fall PUPPET LAB cohort of emerging artists. More info will be available soon at openeyetheatre.org/about-puppet-lab.

Tickets

Visit openeyetheatre.org for showtimes and tickets. A limited number of $10 Economic Accessibility tickets are available online for each performance. Patrons may also pay what they can at the door.

Location and Parking

Open Eye Figure Theatre. 506 East 24th St., Minneapolis, MN 55404 (Map) Open Eye is located 2 blocks south of Franklin Ave between Portland Ave and 35W. Park for free in the Lutheran Social Service lot at 24th and Portland.

Shopping Basket from the September 3rd Mill City Farmers Market

New in this week's shopping basket from the Mill City Farmers Market are butternut squash from Dawn2Dusk and Kimchi from Mhonpaj’s Garden. The outdoor Market is open Saturdays, 8a-1p thru September, and October hours are 9a-1p.

Minneapolis Monarch Festival/Festival de la Monarca is Saturday, September 10

Saturday, September 10
10 am to 4 pm 
Lake Nokomis Park

Free and for everyone!

Butterfly, music and art lovers from the Twin Cities and beyond come together on Saturday September 10 for the free 2022 Minneapolis Monarch Festival / Festival de la Monarca. 

Scheduled from 10am to 4pm, the festival is filled with music, art activities, games, food, plants that monarchs love and more. 

The day offers a host of fun ways for people of all ages to learn about these amazing pollinators and their role in the ecosystem.

The festival takes place at Lake Nokomis Park, northeast of the lake and near the Nokomis Naturescape, a certified Monarch Waystation.

Read on for highlights, or visit the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) website or monarchfestival.org.

Festival Highlights:

Costume parade
Join in or cheer on this ever-popular monarch-themed march for children

Monarch encounters
Observe these insects up-close; learn about their 2,300-mile journey between Minnesota and the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico; find out simple things everyone can do to help restore their population

Monarch-friendly plants 
Purchase native flora to create a habitat in your yard for butterflies and other pollinators 

Performances galore 
Monarch-themed puppet shows, music from Salsa del Sol and Mariachi Mi Tierra performances and dance highlighting the Minnesota/Mexico connection 

Art activities 
Join in community mural and sculpture-making; make your own screen- or block print or paper from plants

Great tastes 
Minnesotan and Latin foods plus other eats and treats available for purchas

Volunteer at the Festival! Email monarch@nokomiseast.org for information.

Theatre in the Round Players Opens 71st Season with the Pulitzer-Prize Winning Drama, Doubt: A Parable

Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) opens its 71st season with the Pulitzer-Prize winning drama, Doubt: a Parable by John Patrick Shanley. 

In this powerful drama, Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students. Written in 2004, partly in response to increasing political polarization, Doubt explores the nature of uncertainty with profound relevance to our current day.

Kari Steinbach directs the 4-member cast, with sets designed by Devyn Becker, costumes by A. Emily Heaney, sound by Mark Kieffer, props by Andrew Stam, and lighting by Bill Larsen.

An open audience discussion with members of the company will follow the performance on Sunday, October 9. To provide space for further exploration of the themes presented in this production, Theatre in the Round is also offering facilitated post-show discussions for private groups, including book clubs, churches, classes, and civic groups. Interested groups can email larisa@theatreintheround.org to schedule.

Tickets are $25. For information, call the theatre’s box office at 612-333-3010 or visit www.TheatreintheRound.org.

* * Full schedule for Season 71 * *

Doubt a Parable, September 23-October 16, 2022

Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles, November 18-December 18, 2022

The Book Club Play, January 27-February 19, 2023

Eurydice, March 10-April 2, 2023

True West, April 21-May 14, 2023 

Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, June 9-July 2, 2023

Call for Artists! Parks for All Mural Project

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Forecast Public Art seek artists to develop murals to foster Parks for All. There will be 9 artists selected to create murals in 2023. The deadline to apply is September 19, 2022, and selected artists will received a $6,000 fee + $3,000 for materials (to include artist travel).

Information Site

The 9 mural locations have been selected based on the following goals: to help reduce the amount of vandalism in the park system; to reduce reactionary maintenance efforts required for tagging removal; to beautify park walls, and to celebrate the park system and park users. There are specific sites in the MPRB system that are frequent targets for vandalism that require countless hours of labor each year to remove and repaint.

State Fair Ferris Wheel by Ric Rosow

Submitted by Ric Rosow

Around 11 pm last night after we finished watching a movie, my wife looked out our living room window and saw an unfamiliar colorful glow in the distance. With binoculars purchased for a trip never taken due to the pandemic, she identified it as the State Fair Ferris Wheel. Never one to pass up an interesting photo opportunity, even though it was late, I set up my camera and tripod. After several test shots to determine the right settings I took a dozen or so photos, as the lights on the Ferris Wheel kept changing colors. I was eager to see what the images looked like on my computer screen and processed this one image. Who knew that 8+ miles from the State Fair grounds one can see the Ferris Wheel from our Downtown East neighborhood. I didn’t. But then I’ve never before had a view from my home in Downtown East looking East. In order to get a closer and larger view of the Ferris Wheel, paraphrasing from that iconic line in Jaws, I need a bigger lens.

See more of my work at ricrosowphotography.com and Tres Leches Art Gallery in the Northrup King Building.

State Fair Ferris Wheel

21st Annual Ukrainian Heritage Festival is September 17th

The Twin Cities Ukrainian community is celebrating the 21st anniversary of the Annual Twin Cities Ukrainian Heritage Festival and the 31st anniversary of Ukrainian Independence. Bring family and friends to this FREE event! Saturday, September 17, 12 PM – 5 PM.

Dedicated proceeds from this year's festival will be going toward the humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

Improvements Coming to Riverside Park and Bohemian Flats Park

Via an August 23rd e-announcement from the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board:

Detail showing Riverside Park and Annie Young Meadow, from the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park master plan. Bohemian Flats Park, not pictured, is to the northwest along the river.

Opportunities to share your thoughts are coming soon!

Improvements are coming to Riverside Park and Bohemian Flats Park through a Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) capital investment project. They include playground and wading pool improvements at Riverside Park and restoration of the savanna  landscape at Bohemian Flats Park. Community engagement for both projects will be combined, since both parks are within the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. 

At Riverside Park, a new playground will replace the existing 20-year-old playground and the 80-year-old wading pool will get much-needed upgrades. Additional improvements may include picnic tables with concrete pads, additional basketball court space, lighting, grills, and benches.

At  Bohemian Flats Park, a five-acre savanna landscape will be restored with various types of oak trees, grasses, and wildflowers.

MPRB will share additional announcements about opportunities for Cedar-Riverside community members to get involved in the Riverside Park improvements project.

Project funding

Riverside Park (a neighborhood park within Mississippi Gorge Regional Park)

• $1,398,000 - 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan (see below) and MPRB's 2022 Capital Improvement Program 

Bohemian Flats Park (a regional park within Mississippi Gorge Regional Park)

• $ 20,000 - River Access Grant

• $286,000 - 2022 Grant for Bohemian Flats Savanna

Riverside Park improvements are funded from NPP20, a historic agreement between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the City of Minneapolis. NPP20 helps address racial and economic equity across 160 neighborhood parks and provides more than $11 million annually to maintain, repair and replace facilities. 

• Watch a 1-minute video on NPP20
• Get more info and subscribe to email updates

More Information and Updates

Visit project page for Riverside & Bohemian Flats Parks Improvements

Subscribe to email updates on this project

Project contact

Tyler Pederson, Design Project Manager, Planning Division, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

612-499-9084 | tpederson@minneapolisparks.org

MacPhail Announces First Free KidFest! Family Music Series Concert of the 2022-23 Season

Chione Quintet

Sing Play Learn with MacPhail® will present the first free KidFest! Family Music Series concert of the 2022-23 season on Saturday, September 10th.

This season kicks off with a brand-new musical performance featuring the Twin Cities-based woodwind quintet of cross-disciplinary women, Chione, along with Twin Cities author Ka Vang. The performance features Vang’s Shous and the Northern Lights Dragon set to beautiful music composed by fellow Minnesotan musician Jocelyn Hagen. Chione’s performance is captivating and inclusive, as they combine musical character themes with American Sign Language, while sharing the stories of each of their instruments.

Activities include:

• Free Family Music Concerts 10:15-10:45 AM and 11:15-11:45 AM
• Instrument exploration stations
• Visual Art stations- make an instrument
• Sample Sing Play Learn classes
• Snacks and more

As always, the Free Family Music series is open and welcome to the community. No tickets or RSVP necessary.

August 22 Minneapolis Central City Tunnel Project Update

Via an August 22 e-announcement from the City of Minneapolis:

Project Overview

The City of Minneapolis Public Works Department is constructing a new parallel storm tunnel, enlarging a portion of the existing storm tunnel, and constructing a new tunnel access in Downtown Minneapolis. This project is anticipated to be completed summer 2023.

The new tunnel is being constructed parallel to the existing tunnel located under Washington Ave S between Nicollet Mall and Chicago Ave. The existing tunnel under Chicago Ave between Washington Ave S and the Mississippi River is being expanded to handle the increased stormwater capacity. The purpose of this project is to reduce pressure in the existing tunnel, provide more room for future growth, and to reduce the need for future repairs and tunnel failures.

Project Map

Get an inside look of tunnel mining

The Star Tribune recently released a story on the Minneapolis Central City Tunnel project. Check out the Star Tribune story to get an inside look of what tunnel mining looks like underground.

Latest Project News

2nd Ave
• Crews continue tunneling the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave from the new tunnel access shaft in the southbound lanes of 2nd Ave S, just north of the Washington Ave intersection.
o The sidewalks remain open on both sides of the road.
o The crosswalk at the Washington Ave and 2nd Ave S intersection remains open.
o 2nd Ave S remains a single lane in each direction using the northbound lanes between Washington Ave and 1st St S.
o Access to driveways off 2nd Ave S remain open. There may be short-term access delays while crews move equipment and materials around.

Portland Ave
• Tunneling the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave continues from the existing tunnel access shaft at the northeast corner of the Washington Ave and Portland Ave intersection.
o Pedestrian access is being maintained during this work. Please follow any posted detour routes.
o There may be short, periodic traffic delays while crews move equipment and materials around.

Tunneling Progress

Long-term closures/restrictions

• The north westbound lane, bike lane, and parking lane remains closed on Washington Ave between Portland Ave and Park Ave. These closures will remain in place until the project is completed. This is necessary for the contractor to utilize the existing shaft to connect the existing tunnel to the new tunnel.
o During this closure, pedestrians can still use the sidewalks along Washington Ave.
o Crosswalks across Washington Ave and Portland Ave will remain open.
o Bicyclists will share the traffic lane.
o The existing left turn lane on Washington Ave at the Portland Ave intersection will temporarily become a left turn and through lane.

• The north sidewalk along Washington Ave remains restricted between Hennepin Ave and Nicollet Mall. The contractor will resume tunneling from the existing tunnel to the new tunnel in fall 2022.
o During these restrictions, pedestrians share the bike lane on Washington Ave.
o The crosswalks at the Washington Ave intersections of Nicollet Mall and Hennepin Ave remains open.

• The sidewalk on the east side of 4th Ave S remains restricted through the end of the project. The dewatering well and pumps are installed in this area.
o Pedestrians can use the sidewalk on the west side of 4th Ave S.
o The crosswalk at the Washington Ave and 4th Ave intersection remains open.
o Access to driveways off 4th Ave S remains open.

• The eastern sidewalk along Nicollet Mall between Washington Ave and 3rd St N remains restricted. Access is open to the Marquette Plaza building. The dewatering well and pumps are installed in this area.
o This sidewalk will reopen to pedestrians after the scaffolding and extra equipment in the area are removed and the site is cleaned up. Once the sidewalk reopens to pedestrians, it will remain restricted around the dewatering well and pumps. This is anticipated to be completed by the end of August.
o Pedestrians are still able to use the sidewalk on the west side of Nicollet Mall.
o The crosswalk at the Washington Ave intersection remains open.
o Possible short-term sidewalk closures to remove equipment in the area through the end of the month.

• The west sidewalk of Portland Ave south of Washington Ave will remain restricted to pedestrians around the dewatering well and pumps until the project is completed.

What to expect

• Expect additional noise, dust, and vibration as crews complete work.
• Schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.

Suspended sites through summer 2022

Hennepin Ave

• Tunneling the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave will resume fall 2022 at this site.

Mississippi River Portal

• Minor activities will periodically occur at the Mississippi River portal site through Summer 2022. Work will resume fall 2022.

Stay connected

Visit the project website for more information and to sign up for project updates: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/projects/central-city-tunnel/

Email the project team: info@mplscentralcitytunnel.com

Contact the project hotline: 612-888-9418

August 20 Trip to the Mill City Farmers Market

Fruit attack! Watermelon, First Kiss apples, pears and strawberries. Alfajores and empanadas from Atacama Catering. New from Sunrise Flour Mill - biscuit mix.

Weekly Events at Peavey Plaza August 21 - 27

Green Minneapolis is excited to host these events, free and open to all!

YWCA Minneapolis Yoga on the Plaza

Tuesday, August 23 from 5:30-6:30pm

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Flow into summer with FREE yoga classes at Peavey Plaza (weather permitting). Bring a water, mat and towel. Members and nonmembers are welcome to attend. Nonmembers that attend receive a FREE three-day trial fitness pass to any of our three fitness locations. Plus, join YWCA Minneapolis as a member for just $15! Registration recommended

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MNspin Musician of the Week: Curtis & Loretta

Thursday, August 25 from 12-1pm 

Award winning folk singer-songwriter duo Curtis & Loretta’s extraordinary harmonies and proficiency on a parade of stringed instruments create an alluring frame for their poignant original songs, and traditional pieces. The Minneapolis husband and wife duo’s current menagerie includes mandocello, folk harp, guitars, clawhammer banjo, and ukulele, plus a bit of kazoo, harmonica, and shakers.

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Children’s Theatre Company Story Theatre 

Saturday, August 27 at 12-12:30pm & 12:30-1pm

Join Children’s Theatre Company for summertime fun at Peavey Plaza! Through imaginative play, collaborative storytelling, music, and family engagement, we’ll explore beloved children’s books together. Laugh, dance, and discover along with your family and friends.

Joe Davis & The Poetic Diaspora

Saturday, August 27 at 6-7:30pm

Journeying through the sonically diverse realms of old school and new school hip hop, R&B, funk, and soul, Joe Davis & The Poetic Diaspora seamlessly blend melodic harmonies, smooth instrumentation, and raw, poetic energy to tell stories of struggle, resilience, and celebration. Formed in the heart of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, the collective is dedicated to crafting vibrant soundscapes around honest narratives that reflect their community’s sacred humanity. Each song is an ancestral echo, a battle cry calling for freedom, an unending dance for justice and joy, welcoming all of the diaspora home.

For a complete calendar of Peavey Plaza Performing Arts Series, visit greenminneapolis.org/events.

Tour the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center!

After a hiatus due to COVID-19, Hennepin County is again offering facility tours at the Hennepin County Energy Recovery Center (HERC) waste-to-energy facility. HERC is a waste-to-energy facility where waste is received and burned to generate steam for the downtown district energy system and electricity sold to Xcel Energy. Tours describe how the plant works and fits within the county’s solid waste management system to divert waste from landfills.

• Tour participants must be 14 years of age or older.
• Masks are optional. (Masks are available at HERC for participants that do not bring their own.)

Tours for Groups

Please complete the HERC tour request form to request a tour for a group of five to 16 people. Due to safety precautions related to COVID-19, tours to groups of more than 16 people are not available at this time. Protecting the health of tour participants and HERC’s operating staff is critical to maintaining the waste and energy infrastructure.

Outdoor tour option: to request a tour that is 100% outdoors, list “outdoor tour” when providing your goal for visiting the facility. Note that outdoor tours will not enter the HERC facility. 

Tours for individuals or groups with less than five people

Complete the HERC tour sign up form to sign up for a slot during pre-scheduled tours of the HERC facility. This option should be used for groups of less than five participants. New date options will be added regularly. You will be contacted by a Hennepin County staff person when your slot is confirmed with additional information, including how to access the facility the day of the tour.

Take a virtual tour

Watch a video about HERC (YouTube) to learn more about how waste is managed in the county and how HERC converts waste to energy.