Public Meeting - Wednesday March 4 / Park Board to Consider Approval of Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan

A public hearing will be held prior to Board discussion.

On Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at 6:30pm, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will hold a public hearing regarding the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan. The hearing will be held in the Board Room at MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis. Individuals wishing to speak at the hearing may call 612-230-6400 to sign up in advance, or may sign up outside the board room until 6:25 pm the day of the hearing. After the hearing, the MPRB Commissioners will consider approval of the plan.

Changing the name of the park from its current name, Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park, is also being considered as a part of the Master Plan.  Through the design and community engagement process, it became evident that a name change was needed. The proposed name of St. Anthony Falls Regional Park is considered a more descriptive and identifiable name which captures the essence of the birthplace of Minneapolis.

The Regional Park currently includes approximately 350 acres of land and water around St. Anthony Falls, near Downtown Minneapolis. The Master Plan is a written and graphic document intended to relate current park data and analysis, communicate a plan for the park’s future, and guide strategic implementation of the plan over the years to come. It is a reflection of the recommendations of an appointed Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which met 12 times between September 2013 and October of 2014. In addition to the CAC meetings, the master planning process included three open houses, five two-day public charrettes, an online survey, coordination with neighborhood organizations, and a 45-day public comment period.

The previously issued Draft Master Plan has been revised based on public, MPRB staff, and partner agency comments. The final plan to be considered for approval will be made available to the public when the Board Meeting agenda and meeting materials are made public, around the Friday before the March 4 meeting. At that time the public may access the document and all supporting materials via the Park Board’s meeting website at http://minneapolisparksmn.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx. For general information about the planning process to date, visit the project webpage, or go to www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects then select “Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan”).

The Park Board will be launching its new website on the afternoon of Thursday, February 26.  At this time the above link to the project webpage will not work.  Please use the search function in the upper right corner of the new website, and search for “Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park.”  The park board's website name will continue to be www.minneapolisparks.org and the link to www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects  will also continue to function with the new website. 

CONTACT:

Tyler Pederson
tpederson@minneapolisparks.org
612-499-9084

Update on Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 8:40AM by David Tinjum

The MPRB approved the plan last night.

An overview of the plan: