You’re invited by our friends at the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (and we hope to see you there!):
On Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at 6:30pm, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will hold a public hearing for the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan [in which our Water Works project included]. 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 simply appear in person at the hearing. After the hearing the MPRB Commissioners will consider approval of the plan.
The consideration of a park name change will also be given as a part of the Master Plan approval. Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park is the current name of the park. Through the design and community engagement processes it became evident that a name change was needed. The proposed name of St. Anthony Falls Regional Park is 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 on-line 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 agency comments. The final plan to be considered for approval will be made available to the public when the Board Meeting agenda and packet is 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 at http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=1396.
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 page 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 website name is unchanged, www.minneapolisparks.org.