Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
The following roads will be closed Sunday, April 7 from 7:30am-12pm for Goldy's Run 10 Mile:
Via an April 4 e-newsletter from the City of Minneapolis:
Vision Zero: Safe streets for everyone
The City of Minneapolis has joined the national Vision Zero movement to eliminate deaths and life-altering injuries on our streets. It is unacceptable that people die in traffic crashes on our streets. Together, we can prevent severe injuries and deaths caused by traffic crashes.
To reach this ambitious goal, we are working with people from across our community to develop a Minneapolis Vision Zero Action Plan. The Action Plan will set our path to achieve a safe transportation network for all people. We expect to release a draft plan in fall 2019.
The City of Minneapolis committed to Vision Zero in September 2017 through adoption of a City Council resolution. The Vision Zero Action Plan is being coordinated with the Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan, which is a 10-year action plan to guide future planning, design, and implementation of transportation projects for all people in all the ways they move around.
Learn more about Vision Zero at: www.visionzerompls.com/
Sign up here to receive Vision Zero email updates.
Follow VisionZeroMpls on Twitter and Facebook and share your thoughts with #VisionZeroMpls.
Minneapolis is creating a Vision Zero Action Plan that will set our path to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries on our streets by 2027.
Help us prioritize efforts in the Vision Zero Action Plan by completing this 10-minute Vision Zero survey.
Join us at upcoming community workshops
The City is hosting 5 community workshops and 1 online open house in April to collect public input on two transportation-related plans: the Vision Zero Action Plan and the Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan.
Community Workshop (Southwest)
Tues. April 9
4–6pm
Richfield Lutheran Church
8 W 60th St
Community Workshop (South)
Thurs. April 11
5–7pm
Longfellow Recreation Center
3435 36th Ave S
Community Workshop (East)
Tues. April 16
4–6pm
Northeast Recreation Center
1530 Johnson St NE
Community Workshop (Downtown)
Mon. April 22
4–6pm
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
300 Nicollet Mall
Community Workshop (North)
Wed. April 24
5–7pm
Farview Recreation Center
621 N 29th Ave
Online Open House (Facebook Live)
Tue. April 30
6:30–7:30pm
City of Minneapolis Facebook page
Your participation is encouraged and welcomed. If you require assistance, reasonable accommodations, interpreting services or materials in alternative format please contact Millicent Flowers, Public Works, 612-673-3310 or email visionzero@minneapolismn.gov. People who are deaf and/or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-673-2157.
The Boom Island-Nicollet Island Bridge was repaired last year.
Via an April 4 announcement from Minneapolis Park and Rec Board:
Contractor returns next week to finish up work
The Boom Island-Nicollet Island Bridge reopened last November after an extensive repair project revitalized the 118-year-old structure.
Beginning next week (the week of April 8, 2019) workers will be onsite to perform remaining work not completed in 2018. This includes site grading and turf establishment, concrete abutment work, paint touch-ups, and electrical work.
The follow-up work is not anticipated to close the bridge, but please use caution around construction areas.
A Grand Opening Celebration is scheduled this year and details will be publicized soon.
About the Boom Island-Nicollet Island Bridge
The current trail connection between Boom Island Park and Nicollet Island was originally built in 1901 as a railroad bridge. In the 1970s, the rail yard it served was cleared and the bridge was given to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, which converted it to a pedestrian and bicycle bridge in the 1980s.
In late 2013, the bridge was closed to emergency and maintenance vehicles after significant deterioration was discovered during an inspection. Emergency repairs were completed in July 2015 and permanent repairs were performed May-November 2018.
Two-year process will set vision for the next decade of Minneapolis Parks and Recreation
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is excited to announce “Parks for All,” a new comprehensive planning process that will set its priorities and policy direction for the next decade.
Parks for All will engage Minneapolis residents and park users, along with MPRB staff and commissioners, over the next two years to shape the future direction of Minneapolis’ park and recreation system.
What is Parks for All?
The last MPRB Comprehensive Plan was approved in 2007 and set a vision through 2020. Parks for All is the next MPRB Comprehensive Plan, which will guide the Minneapolis park and recreation system for the next decade.
The MPRB Comprehensive Plan guides everything done by the MPRB. It articulates why the MPRB exists, identifies how the MPRB performs its work, and describes what the MPRB hopes to become.
Parks for All is separate from the recent City of Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. It solely covers the Minneapolis park and recreation system. It will build off other recent MPRB plans including service area master plans for neighborhood parks, master plans for regional parks and other plans and policies that have been developed by MPRB in recent years with community input.
Get involved now
Community Collaborators
MPRB invites local grassroots, neighborhood and cultural organizations to convene their own conversations about the future of Minneapolis parks and recreation through the Community Collaborator program. Please consider submitting a project proposal designed to broaden community engagement for Parks for All.
Funding varies $500-$3,000 according to the project idea and proposed budget. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis with three rounds of submission and review in April, August and December 2019. First deadline is April 22.
Community Collaborator Application [PDF]
The MPRB is hosting two pre-proposal information sessions about the Community Collaborator program:
Both meetings are at MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road. They are not mandatory.
Coming Soon
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25 communities to compete in Step To It challenge
Build healthy habits by joining the Step To It challenge, open to people of all ages and abilities at no cost to participants.
Track your activity online from May 1 – 28 for the chance to win prizes. Almost any activity counts, such as mowing the lawn, gardening, yoga and manual wheelchair use.
All participants are eligible for Twins tickets and Step To It t-shirts through random prize drawings conducted in each participating community.
Learn more and register at steptoit.org.
City preparing for Final Four festivities
Minneapolis is gearing up to welcome teams and fans for the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four April 5-8.
The City is focused on ensuring the four-day event in downtown Minneapolis is a safe and welcoming experience for visitors and residents.
In addition to the games at U.S. Bank Stadium, there will be several family-friendly events:
The City has worked with event organizers and downtown stakeholders to minimize traffic and parking disruptions as much as possible. There will be limited road and lane closures around U.S. Bank Stadium and Nicollet Mall.
There are many ways to get around downtown for Final Four activities. Transit and walking are great options. For planning to drive, park once and enjoy downtown by foot. For more tips, visit finalfourminneapolis.com and watch the recent Final Four “Know Before You Go” press conference.
City closing streets, restricting lanes around U.S. Bank Stadium, Nicollet Mall for Final Four festivities
The City began the first phase of street closures around U.S. Bank Stadium in preparation for the 2019 Final Four in downtown Minneapolis April 5-8.
Through Friday, April 12, the following streets are closed around the stadium:
Additional closures and lane restrictions begin Wednesday, April 3, as noted on the map. Roadways, bike facilities and sidewalks will reopen beginning Tuesday, April 9. Chicago Avenue South and Norm McGrew Street will be closed through Friday, April 12.
The City is also closing portions of Nicollet Mall and adjacent streets for Final Four festivities. Closures begin Monday, April 1, and all roadways will reopen Thursday, April 11 if not sooner. Note: 11th Street from Marquette Avenue South to LaSalle Avenue South will be closed intermittently April 5-8.
Pedestrian access and sidewalks along Nicollet Mall and cross streets will remain open.
The City of Minneapolis has worked closely with event organizers and stakeholders to craft a traffic management plan that will enhance the Final Four experience while minimizing disruption to traffic and parking as much as possible.
Apply for openings on Minneapolis boards and commissions
Several board and commission positions are open for City Council and mayor appointments this spring. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis help shape key policy decisions, give community-based input into the City’s administration of services and supply valuable insights. The City seeks applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences to strengthen the work of the City. Translation and interpreting services are available on request so all residents can participate.
People can apply through the open position pages linked below and stay up to date on vacancies, position descriptions and timelines by visiting minneapolismn.gov/boards/openings. The positions are open until filled.
There are 77 open positions on 10 City boards and commissions:
Boards, commissions and advisory committees
The City of Minneapolis has more than 50 volunteer-based boards, commissions and advisory committees that advise the City on issues and help develop policy and administer services. Boards and commissions fall into a handful of categories: appeal boards, development boards, general advisory boards and special service districts (defined areas within the city with special services).
Appointments to boards and commissions are made twice a year: in the spring and fall.
Minneapolis’ appointed boards and commissions are becoming more inclusive with a steady increase in residents of color serving. A new study shows that the City has met its race diversity benchmark with board and commission members within 80 percent of the city’s demographics. Thirty-three percent of the City’s board and commission members are people of color, whereas the population of Minneapolis is 36 percent people of color.
The City still pursues more diverse representation in its appointed boards and commissions with:
Potential applicants can find more information at 612-673-2216 or OpenAppointments@minneapolismn.gov.
2019 collection of leaves and bundled brush begins week of April 8
The 2019 season for Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling collection of leaves, brush and other yard trimmings starts the week of April 8. Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers can set properly prepared yard waste at their alleys or curbs next to their garbage carts by 6 a.m. on garbage day.
Yard waste must be in compostable bags – paper (Kraft) or compostable plastic – or unbagged in a reusable container 26-32 inches high, no more than 26 inches wide, with sturdy handles. Reusable containers are lifted and emptied by hand; they must be easily managed. Yard waste is not allowed in City-provided garbage, recycling or organics recycling carts.
Preparing yard trimmings and leaves
Preparing brush
Reusable containers
Which bags can be used in the program?
Bags marked “biodegradable” or “degradable” do not meet the State law and are not accepted.
It’s against the law and bad for our lakes, creeks and river to rake leaves into the street.
For questions about leaf and brush pickup, customers can call Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. People can also find more information here.
Youth Violence Prevention Week events March 30-April 6
The City of Minneapolis joins a national public education effort by participating in its fifth annual Youth Violence Prevention Week. Activities and events March 30-April 6 will call attention to the issue of youth violence, identify strategies to combat this public health epidemic and promote the positive roles young people and adults can play in making their communities and schools safer.
A diverse array of youth-oriented activities includes a pop-up recording session, basketball tournaments, art, dance, a girls’ symposium and personal safety workshops.
Find details in the 2019 Youth Violence Prevention Week event list.
Minneapolis among top metro areas nationwide for solar jobs growth
Minneapolis-Saint Paul is among the top metro areas nationally with Chicago, Miami and Seattle for the number of solar jobs added in 2018.
The Solar Foundation released a map on the number of solar jobs in every state, metropolitan area, county and congressional district revealing how solar energy is supporting local economies nationwide. The report found 242,343 solar workers in the United States as of 2018.
To tackle climate change, Minneapolis has set clear and ambitious goals to get Minneapolis to 100 percent clean energy by 2030. The City of Minneapolis and Xcel Energy offer these programs and uses these practices that help support solar jobs:
Find out if your home or business is right for rooftop solar.
Find the interactive solar jobs map and detailed state fact sheets at SolarStates.org. Find complete information on the National Solar Jobs Census 2018 at SolarJobsCensus.org.
Join 2020 Census celebration April 1: We Count
Join Mayor Jacob Frey, Council Member Abdi Warsame, the Minneapolis Complete Count Committee and leaders from nonprofit organizations, business and community organizations to kick off the yearlong 2020 Census complete count campaign:
We Count Minneapolis kickoff 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, April 1 The Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Ave.
We Count Minneapolis will promote awareness and participation in the 2020 Census. The goal is to ensure everyone is counted and fairly represented, regardless of immigration status, age or income level.
Getting a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census is a major focus of the City of Minneapolis, which is the only municipality in Minnesota to dedicate funds toward the effort. Reaching historically undercounted communities will be a priority. The kickoff event will bring together community stakeholders committed to ensuring a complete count.
Find more information at minneapolismn.gov/census.
Help shape the future of transportation in Minneapolis
The City is hosting five community workshops and one online open house in April to collect public input on ways to improve the city’s transportation system as City staff develop the Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan and the Vision Zero Action Plan.
The Transportation Action Plan will be a 10-year plan to implement the transportation vision outlined in the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. It will develop strategies and actions on advanced mobility, pedestrian, bicycle, transit, freight, street operations and street design.
The Vision Zero Action Plan will be a three-year plan to advance the City’s commitment to ending traffic fatalities and severe injuries resulting from traffic crashes on our streets by 2027.
Community workshop (southwest) 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 9 Richfield Lutheran Church-Fellowship Hall, 8 W. 60th St.
Community workshop (south) 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 11 Longfellow Recreation Center, 3435 36th Ave. S.
Community workshop (east) 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 16 Northeast Recreation Center, 1530 Johnson St. NE
Community workshop (Downtown) 4-6 p.m. Monday, April 22 Central Library, Doty Board Room, 300 Nicollet Mall
Community workshop (north) 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 Farview Recreation Center, 621 29th Ave. N.
Online open house (City’s Facebook page) 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 City of Minneapolis Facebook page
Public Works will conduct community engagement to gather input and feedback on these two plans throughout the year. Staff is expected to submit the plans to the City Council for approval in 2020.
Can't attend an event? You can still get involved.
You can learn more about the Transportation Action Plan and provide direct feedback on our interactive website. Our topic pages include short surveys and are a great place to share your thoughts. You can also use #gompls to talk transportation with us and follow the City of Minneapolis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Jobs with the City
Ever considered working for the City of Minneapolis? Opportunity is knocking. The City of Minneapolis has more than 900 different job types. Find your dream job today.
The 2019 housing and community development draft action plan shows how Hennepin County and partner suburban cities plan to use approximately $4.7 million in federal funding for housing and development activities in suburban communities.
This funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through three federal programs:
Hennepin County will host a public hearing to gather comments and feedback on the draft plan:
Tuesday, April 16
1:30 p.m.
Hennepin County Government Center Board Room (A-2400)
300 South Sixth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55487
You may also submit written comments on the plan by 4:30 on April 30. Send written comments to:
Julia Welle Ayres
Hennepin County Community Works
701 4th Avenue South, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55415
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Read the Neighborhoods 2020 Framework Recommendations now open for public comment through Sunday, March 31, 2019.
To submit your comments:
During Final Four weekend, Jack Link’s is inviting visitors to participate in a head-to-head battle at the Wild Side store (Target Center Skyway, Level 600, 1st Avenue N) to vote between two NEW special edition batch flavors: Atomic Cinnamon and One Hot Peach.
Stop by the store Thursday, April 4 or Friday, April 5 from 11am to 6pm or Saturday, April 6 from 12pm to 5pm.
Jack Link’s will also be introducing three other limited-edition flavors of their fresh, deli-style Jack Link’s Signature Batch: Supper Club Old Fashioned, Berry Good Barbeque and Umami Boom.
Limited Edition Batch Flavor Descriptions:
Now accepting applications: Community Advisory Committee for Cedar-Riverside-based study
About the predesign study
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is exploring the potential for building a new recreation center in the Interstate 94/Riverside Corridor, integrated into a larger development on the east end of the Augsburg University campus. The new recreation center would help supplement the programming offered at the Brian Coyle Community Center. A renovation or nearby relocation of the Brian Coyle Community Center is also being explored as part of this study. Additional information and key documents are on the project web page.
The predesign study will be guided by a community advisory committee (CAC), with members appointed by MPRB commissioners and an MPRB selection committee.
Community advisory committees provide volunteer opportunities for stakeholders to share insight and resources and serve to build and sustain relationships between the community, partner agencies, and the MPRB. Members of the CAC are expected to represent the views of park users and to work collaboratively with each other and the public to provide comprehensive recommendations to the Board about the project.
Find out more
Submit your CAC application
All applications are due by May 3, 2019.
Questions?
Contact Project Manager Dan Elias at 612-230-6435 or delias@minneapolisparks.org.
To subscribe to notices for all advisory committee opportunities, please click here.
A recent survey of Minneapolis hotels indicates hotel rooms remain, but availability is limited and most guests should expect a 4-night minimum stay
Minneapolis is preparing to welcome the best college basketball teams, the National Association of Basketball Coaches convention and tens of thousands of sports fans to the city, next week. In a recent Meet Minneapolis survey of Minneapolis hotels, more than 76 percent of respondents state hotel rooms are still available for the Final Four; however, 57 percent indicate availability is very limited. In addition, the average daily rate for a standard hotel room exceeds $350 per night for the majority of those hotels. The survey was conducted March 21-26, 2019, and includes responses from 21 Minneapolis hotels.
“The good news for visitors is that there’s still availability for Minneapolis hotel rooms. That means being close to all the action, from Fan Fest at the Minneapolis Convention Center to Tip-Off Tailgate on Nicollet and the games at U.S. Bank Stadium,” stated Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis President and CEO. “However, fans who still want to secure their accommodations within walking distance of all these events should be prepared to pay a premium price, because the remaining inventory of hotel rooms is quickly diminishing.”
In the Meet Minneapolis survey, Minneapolis hotels were asked:
Do you currently have hotel rooms available for the weekend of the Final Four?
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Yes, some |
19.1% |
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Yes, but very limited |
57.1% |
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No rooms available |
23.8% |
At this time, what is the average daily rate for a Standard Room at your hotel property during the Final Four (April 4-8) not including taxes?
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Less than $250 per night |
0.0% |
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$251-$350 per night |
9.5% |
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$351-$450 per night |
28.6% |
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More than $450 per night |
52.4% |
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No rooms available |
9.5% |
Overall, there are 9,293 hotel rooms in the city of Minneapolis. Visit www.minneapolis.org/hotels for details on hotels throughout the Minneapolis area.
For more information about events, activities and what to see and do in Minneapolis, particularly during the Final Four, visit www.minneapolis.org/final-four. To learn more about how tourism and hospitality impacts our community, watch here.
The Plan Your Trip interactive map application (be patient, it takes a minute to fully load) features the Great River Road and Mississippi River (bicycle) Trail routes in Minnesota, over 700 points of interest, over 200 local food providers and more. It also includes expanded interactive travel guides for each of six distinct regions from the headwaters at Lake Itasca to the Bluffs Region in the southeastern area of the state. Each region has unique features and histories, towns and recreational opportunities. This information is also the most updated that Great River Road Minnesota has available.
Follow the Great River Road to find unique places to explore along the Mississippi River in the Metro Region. Statewide, Minnesota’s Great River Road offers 565 miles of byway with over 700 places to experience this great river.
Certain roads in downtown Minneapolis will be impacted leading up to and through Final Four weekend. These road closures and lane restrictions will be located around the Final Four Venue and on Nicollet between 8th Street and 12th Street. This phased process will begin on March 25 and be completed by April 12. See the maps below for full impact timelines.
Road Closures:
Lane Restrictions:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Road Closures:
Lane Restrictions:
Did you know Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) converts Minneapolis’ trash into energy? That energy provides electricity to 25,000 homes, plus heat to Target Field and downtown buildings. HERC is just one of the many buildings that will be open during Doors Open Minneapolis (Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19), and visitors will learn how HERC works, see the waste pit and trash trucks on a live video feed in the visitor center, and discover strategies to reduce waste.
Doors Open Minneapolis is a weekend-long event that allows the public free, behind-the-scenes access to buildings in the City of Minneapolis that are architecturally, culturally, or socially significant.
Now, it's pretty much impossible to see all the available properties in those two days, so check out the full list of buildings to plan your weekend!
There are also volunteer opportunities, which will entitle you to a free Doors Open Minneapolis t-shirt and 'front of the line’ VIP access at all other venues. (The first 100 volunteers to sign up will also receive a free book: AIA Guide to the Twin Cities.)
MacPhail Center for Music offers camps for ages 3-Adult in a variety of styles and genres. This year they have a new all-day camp for kids who want to sample a couple instruments during the week - no experience necessary! MacPhail also has two unique Korean music camps - one in Korean Drumming and another featuring the zither instrument, Gayageum. Instruments are provided in each of these camps and kids will perform on the last day.
Via a March 20 Press Release from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office:
After nine years in the K9 unit and 563 deployments, canine officer Jake is retiring from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. But before he leaves the force to live as a family pet, Officer Jake is taking on one final assignment: To help other local dogs find loving “forever homes!”
Jake and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are partnering with Minneapolis Animal Care and Control and the Municipal Building Commission for “Jake’s Last Assignment,” an adoptable dog event in the rotunda at Minneapolis City Hall/Courthouse, 350 S 5th Street, on Friday, March 29. From 11 am to 1 pm, the public is invited to visit approximately 25 adoptable dogs from various animal rescue agencies. Jake and other (human) members of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office will be on hand to greet visitors and answer questions about the HCSO K9 unit.
Participating animal rescue partners include:
“Jake has been the best partner I could have ever have, and I’m excited for him to spend his retirement years with my family and me,” said Jake’s partner and handler, Deputy Jason Majeski. “Jake has dedicated his life to serving Hennepin County, and I’m proud that his last official act with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office will be to help some local dogs find new homes.”
“Jake’s Last Assignment” Dog Adoption Event will be held in the Minneapolis City Hall/Courthouse rotunda on Friday, March 29, 11 am – 1 pm. A media preview of the event will be held from 10 – 11 am.
Officer Jake Quick Facts
The following parkways will be temporarily closed on Saturday, March 23 for the Hot Dash 5K & 10 Mile from approximately 7am-1pm:
Stone Arch Bridge, NE Main Street - 6th Avenue SE to Hennepin Avenue, West River Parkway - Plymouth Avenue to E 27th Avenue
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 12:11PM
