Voting for 8th Annual Greening & Public Realm Awards Opens Today

Via an August 24 News Release from Minneapolis Downtown Council:

The Mpls Downtown Improvement District(MDID) today announced the public voting for the 8th annual Greening & Public Realm Awards is now open.

The Greening Awards, an MDID initiative since 2010, celebrate outstanding examples of greening and placemaking that improve public space in Downtown Minneapolis. Winners will be selected by public vote at mplsdowntown.com/greeningawards. The vote will be open Aug. 24 through Sept. 15.

This year, 40 unique finalists were selected through an interactive public nomination process were divided into 12 categories based on the project’s characteristics and size. Among the finalists selected were 18 unique new nominees—a continued sign of the growing diversity of greening in the downtown area—as well as 14 past winners. Eight of last year’s 12 winners are nominated again this year, including seven-time winner Loring Greenway and six-time winner Target Plaza South Entry.

“We once again have an incredible group of finalists highlighting the vast array of public and private greening initiatives we enjoy here in our downtown,” said Steve Cramer, Mpls Downtown Improvement District President & CEO. “We thank all who enhance our public realm through their efforts and vision, and we look forward to celebrating this year’s winners once our public vote is complete.”

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.

The MDID Greening Awards are intended to inspire all to work toward making downtown greener and more vibrant. The MDID’s mission through the Greening Awards is to encourage all downtown businesses and organizations to participate in the greening effort.

The public is encouraged to vote by visiting mplsdowntown.com/greeningawards and clicking on the interactive vote link. Each category will showcase the finalists along with a photo of each location for easy viewing and identification. This year’s 12 categories include the following finalists:

Small Activated Space

• 100 Washington Square*
• Gethsemane Episcopal Church
• North Loop Parklet*

Small Green Space

• 20 Washington Square
• American Academy of Neurology
• Target Corp – South Entry

Large Activated Space

• Hennepin County Government Center North & South Plazas
• Target Field Station
• The Commons

Large Green Space

• Cancer Survivors Park
• Loring Greenway
• Mill Ruins Park*
• Triangle Park

Façade Greening

• Capella Tower*
• JB Hudson Jewelers
• The Local

Public Art

• 1010 Currie Mural by Bianca Pettis and Erin Sayer*
• Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch*
• Inside Out Project*
• Orbicles by MINN_LAB*

Outdoor Café

• Brit’s Pub
• HopCat*
• McKinney Roe*
• Monte Carlo*

Streetscape Greening

• Maverick Apartments*
• Rock Island Lofts
• Minneapolis Convention Center
• Target Commons

Streetscape Green Infrastructure

• Hennepin & Lyndale Renovation*
• Machine Shop*
• Millwright*
• Walker Art Center*

Entryway Greening

• City Hall
• Haskell’s*
• Textile Building*
• Zenith Condos*

Public Realm Improvement

• 100 Washington Square Renovation*
• 1010 Currie Mural by Bianca Pettis & Erin Sayer*
• Government Center North Plaza Fountain Restoration*
• Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch*
• Hennepin/Lyndale Renovation*
• HopCat Outdoor Café*
• Inside Out Park*
• Maverick Apartments Streetscape*
• McKinney Roe Outdoor Café*
• Millwright Building Streetscape*
• Orbicles by MINN_LAB*
• Walker Art Center Grounds Renovation*

Best Neighborhood

• Elliot Park
• Loring Park
• Mill District
• North Loop

*New Nominee in this category

The public is encouraged to not only vote on a winner for each category but to also celebrate greening on social media year-round. Send your greening photos to @MinneapolisDID on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #GreenAwardsMpls.