Check Out Designs Outlining Proposed Long-term Plan for Mississippi Gorge Regional Park
Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 3:32PM
Mississippi Gorge Regional Park includes the trails and green space along West and East River Parkways in Minneapolis between Bohemian Flats and Minnehaha Regional Park
Weigh in on draft Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan during 45-day public comment period
After more than a year of in-depth community engagement and design, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has released a draft of the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan for a 45-day public comment period beginning today, Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 and ending Sunday, March 10, 2019.
The Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan creates a new long-term vision for 132 acres of beautiful riverfront parkland between Bridge 9 (Dinkytown Greenway bridge) and Minnehaha Regional Park. The five-mile long landscape was split into several framework areas linked together by linear trails, parkways and swaths of green space and river bluff edges.
The master plan is split into eight sections, which are linked below. It's also available on the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan project page, in the right column under "Draft Documents."
Paper copies of the plan and written comment cards will be available at Mary Merrill MPRB Headquarters and six recreation centers near Mississippi Gorge Regional Park: Brackett, Coyle, Hiawatha School, Longfellow, Luxton and Matthews.
East River Flats Park near the University of Minnesota East Bank Campus is part of the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan
Community Engagement
The plan was shaped through months of in-depth community engagement that included hosting and attending numerous public meetings, open houses and focus groups, online and in-person surveys, feedback from technical and project advisory committees, and eight Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings. The CAC was comprised of 21 members of the public appointed by MPRB staff and commissioners, City Council Members, local neighborhood associations and the University of Minnesota Student Government.
The park concepts linked above are also available on the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan project page under “Key Documents” in the right column.
Next Steps
After the 45-day comment period closes, the design team will again consider comments from all stakeholders and potentially make more adjustments. Then, over the spring, the final plan will be sent to the Board of Commissioners for a final public hearing and vote on its final approval. Please continue to share your thoughts on the park plans in these final stages of public comment.
About this project
The Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan will create a new long-term plan for all riverfront parkland in Minneapolis between Bridge 9 (Dinkytown Greenway bridge) and Minnehaha Regional Park.
