Mpls Downtown Improvement District announces 2019 Greening & Public Realm Award Winners

Via a September 17 News Release from the Minneapolis Downtown Council:

The Mpls Downtown Improvement District (DID) announced today its 10th annual Greening & Public Realm Award winners, a group that included seven first-time winners among the 12 categories decided by an interactive public vote.

The Greening Awards aim to showcase greening efforts by organizations and companies that help beautify the downtown area through enhancing our urban landscape.

This year’s first-time award winners [full list below] in this year’s categories are Mill City Farmers Market (Best Small Activated Space), Gateway Park (Best Small Green Space), Nimbus (Best Public Art), Barrio (Best Outdoor Café), Grant Park Median (Best Streetscape), Demi (Best Entryway Greening), Peavey Plaza (Best Public Realm Improvement),

Loring Park was recognized both for Best Large Activated Space and for Best Neighborhood.

Loring Greenway won a Greening Award for a record 10th straight year—including winning Best Large Green Space for the fifth year in a row. The Local won its eight Greening Award (Best Façade Greening), Minneapolis Convention Center won its fourth (Best Streetscape Infrastructure).

“We appreciate all the efforts being done to make downtown a greener place, and we are excited to congratulate the 2019 Greening and Public Realm Award winners,” Mpls Downtown Improvement District President & CEO Steve Cramer said. “Your efforts and initiative directly enhance the overall experience and vibrancy of downtown for all who live, work, visit and explore here.”

Winners will receive a commemorative Greening Award 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. Winning locations also received a Greening Awards winning logo placed on site.

The Mpls DID accepted public nominations for green spaces throughout August, and finalists were announced on August 27. Voting for finalists remained open through September 13.

The finalists, nominated by the public, 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 adding vibrancy to the public realm.

This year’s results include the following winners:

 Small Activated Space

·        Mill City Farmers Market* - 47.35%

·        Gethsemane Community Garden – 40.24%

·        Open Book Parklet* - 12.41%

 Small Green Space

·        Gateway Park* - 50.76%

·        Hennepin Healthcare Pocket Park – 21.28%

·        WCCO Plaza – 21.12%

·        RSM Plaza – Pocket Park* - 6.84%

Large Activated Space

·        Loring Park – 36.96%

·        The Commons – 32.34%

·        Nicollet 21.76%

·        Hennepin County Government Center – 8.94%

Large Green Space

·        Loring Greenway – 49.22%

·        Peavey Plaza – 21.72%

·        Gold Medal Park – 21.02%

·        Triangle Park – 8.04%

Façade Greening

·        The Local – 47.86%

·        Lenox Brownstones – 27.77%

·        Borealis North Loop Apartments* - 24.37%

Public Art

·        Nimbus* - 56.37%

·        Radical Playground* - 27.89%

·        Hennepin Theatre Trust – It’s the People* - 15.74%

Outdoor Café

·        Barrio* - 28.10%

·        The News Room – 27.64%

·        Bachelor Farmer Café – 25.08%

·        The Freehouse* - 19.18%

Streetscape

·        Grant Park Median* - 48.26%

·        Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot* - 35.80%

·        HQ Apartments – 15.93%

 Streetscape Infrastructure

·        Minneapolis Convention Center – 44.41%

·        Hennepin-Lyndale Crossroads – 37.16%

·        North Loop Washington Avenue* - 18.43%

 Entryway Greening

·        Demi (Parking Lot)* - 45.85%

·        The Marquette Hotel – 32.36%

·        Canopy by Hilton* - 11.22%

·        Cynthia Froid Group – 10.57%

Public Realm Improvement

·        Peavey Plaza – 49.21%

·        Borealis North Loop Apartments – 14.82%

·        Nimbus – 12.37%

·        Hennepin Theatre Trust – It’s the People – 5.61%

·        Grant Park Median – 4.89%

·        Barrio – 4.46%

·        Radical Playground – 4.17%

·        Open Book Parklet – 2.88%

·        RSM Plaza – Pocket Park – 1.58%

Best Neighborhood

·        Loring Park – 52.46%

·        North Loop – 14.06%

·        Elliot Park – 13.48%

·        Downtown East – 10.00%

·        Downtown West – 10.00%

*  First-time finalist