Funny Money! Theater of Public Policy to Enlighten-up the Conversation About Funding for Parks

Join us for the next Riverfront Vitality Forum - Finding the Green for Parks, 6:30pm, July 23, 2015, at Open Book - Sponsored in part by Mill City Times

Minneapolis, Minn. – Even for America’s number one park system, money doesn’t grow on trees. The  Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board has ambitious plans to expand parkland, especially along the Upper Riverfront, where new opportunities to connect North and Northeast Minneapolis the Mississippi River are being created. Through an info-taining blend of interview and improve, Finding the Green for Parks: A Conversation with Park Board Superintendent Jayne Miller and the Theater of Public Policy, aims to enlighten the audience about the range of funding models for capital investment and long-term maintenance and operations.

Seating is limited, register here...

One of MRP’s ongoing Riverfront Vitality Forums, Finding the Green for Parks will take place at 6:30pm, July 23, 2015, at Open Book in Minneapolis. Tickets are $5 and pre-registration via Eventbrite is encouraged. The event is co-sponsored by CenterPoint Energy, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Mill City Times and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

The Theater of Public Policy has earned a national reputation for bringing intelligent humor to droll-up otherwise dour, and sometimes divisive, issues. Their work has included six months embedded at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, using humor, surprise, and participation to adapt the culture to a changing audience. They’ve also performed for the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Public Radio, and numerous state and local agencies.

“In Minneapolis, our parks define who we are as a people and as a city. With RiverFirst and the Above the Falls Master Plan, we have prioritized new parks on the Upper Riverfront as the leading edge for economic and ecological revitalization,” says Kathleen Boe, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, MRP hosts quarterly Riverfront Vitality Forums to daylight dialogue about vital riverfront issues.

Superintendent Jayne Miller took the helm of the Minneapolis Park Board in 2010, shortly after the Park Board’s purchase of the 12-acre Scherer property and when early visioning for Upper Riverfront parks development was already underway. During her tenure, the Park Board has continued to expand its land acquisition along the Upper Riverfront.

The Park Board has also sustained the RiverFirst vision, by making progress on four priority projects, including restoration of Hall’s Island on the Scherer property and investment in riverfront trail development. In partnership with the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, the Park Board is also advancing the Water Works project along with planning for the 26^th Avenue North overlook and connector.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership is a state-chartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that facilitates and supports coordinated revitalization of the Mississippi Riverfront in the City of Minneapolis. MRP brings diverse community partners together to shape a vital role for the Mississippi River in enhancing the economic, social and natural life of the City of Minneapolis and to ensure that this development benefits all segments of the community.

Seating is limited, register here...