Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board launches park dedication mapping tool
Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 11:23AM
New tool provides monthly updates on park dedication fee collections, allocations and expenditures
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is proud to announce the successful launch of a new mapping tool that tracks park dedication fee collections, allocations and expenditures.
The park dedication map will be updated monthly. Blue dots represent fees collected, red dots indicate fees have been allocated toward a park project and green dots show where fees have been spent and the project is completed. Click within any of Minneapolis’ 81 neighborhoods for an overview of total fees collected, allocated and spent in a specific neighborhood.
The park dedication fee assesses all new developments in Minneapolis to help pay for park expansion or enhancement, akin to other development fees that support increased strain on infrastructure like sewer, water and roads. Park dedication fees are used by cities across Minnesota and the United States to enhance park systems for new residents or employees moving into the city.
The MPRB, City of Minneapolis and Minnesota Legislature approved the park dedication ordinance. It went into effect in Minneapolis on Jan. 1, 2014. Additional park dedication facts:
- Fees must be spent in the same neighborhood as the development assessed.
- Available funds vary widely across the city and are dependent on new development.
- Fees must be spent on park system expansions or enhancements. This includes land acquisition, new recreation facilities or expanded amenities—not rehabilitation or maintenance.
- Fund expenditures must be approved through the MPRB’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
- Affordable housing units are the only type of development exempt from fees. This was determined by the state legislature.
- The MPRB may consider receiving land in lieu of fees. Land-in-lieu must meet the plans and goals of the MPRB and be approved by the Board of Commissioners. This has happened once so far, for a public connection between Second Street and the Mississippi River, also known as a “woonerf.”
- The first allocations were made during the 2016-2021 CIP process in four neighborhoods: Near North, Folwell, Seward and Bryant. The former three will expand playground facilities; the latter will enhance a wading pool.
For more information visit the Park Dedication page on minneapolisparks.org.
