Save the Date: Sheridan Memorial Park Improvements Grand Opening Celebration scheduled October 5
Monday, August 19, 2019 at 4:35PMVia an August 19 e-newsletter from Minneapolis Park and Rec Board:
A new picnic shelter is part of a major park improvement project at Sheridan Memorial Park
Major park improvement project includes new playground, picnic shelter, basketball court and playable art
Please join the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and Northeast Minneapolis neighbors and park users on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, 10:30 am-1 pm for a special event celebrating the completion of a collection of new amenities at Sheridan Memorial Park.
Join us at the park for family-friendly activities on Oct. 5 between 10:30 am and 1 pm. Save the date and more details about the celebration will be available soon!
Local artist Zoran Mojsilov works on artwork installed at the new Sheridan Memorial Park playground, March 26, 2019
About the Project
The Sheridan Memorial Park Improvements project features a new playground, picnic shelter, basketball court and playable art, along with benches, a drinking fountain, portable toilets and path connections. The $1.5 million project held a groundbreaking ceremony last October and construction took place over the last year.
The MPRB would like to thank the Sheridan Neighborhood Organization, which has committed thousands of dollars in funds and many volunteers to help plan and construct past improvements in the park.
An illustration showing some of the new amenities at Sheridan Memorial Park
Project History
In April 2015 the MPRB received a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership project to develop recreation facilities at Sheridan Memorial Park. The grant was matched with $1 million from Minnesota Parks and Trails Legacy Funding, administered by the Metropolitan Council.
Community engagement in 2016 and 2017 helped decide which improvements were chosen for the park and how those improvements were designed. Construction occurred fall 2018-summer 2019.
Northeast veterans, community members and public officials pose for a photo at the Sheridan Memorial Park Land Dedication event on Nov. 9, 2007
Park History
A grand opening celebration for the Sheridan Veterans Memorial occurred on June 28, 2014 after nearly 20 years of planning, fundraising and environmental remediation. Read more of the park’s fascinating backstory on the MPRB website: Sheridan Memorial Park History
Currently the park centers on a large spherical sculpture of protective shields created by local artist Robert Smart. The sculpture is surrounded with quotes about peace engraved into granite and vertical markers describing the ten conflicts in which Minnesotans have served. Smart imbued the steel and granite markers with faces of veterans cast in iron.
In 2016 the Mississippi East Bank Trail opened. The two-way, off-street, lighted riverfront trail runs through the park.
