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A major overhaul of three blocks along the Mississippi River would reshape an already signature, high-traffic section of the downtown Minneapolis riverfront.


The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is heading up an effort with the Minneapolis Park Board to win support for 

, a $23.8 million project stretching along three blocks of West River Parkway, from Portland to the 3rd Avenue Bridge. The proposal includes unearthing a covered canal that once fed water into the storied mills of Minneapolis lore; extending the Stone Arch Bridge to better configure biking and hiking paths; developing features including an amphitheater and new river access for kayakers; and building a pavilion to house a cafe, restrooms, and gathering spaces.


"It's important not to just make it a navigation for bikers and walkers, but we also have to nod to history and give people a sense of place," said Tom Evers, executive director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, on The Daily Circuit.


Evers also noted that while none of the funding has been identified to date, he expects a mix of private and public money to be used. He discussed the scope of the project and why he thinks it needs to be so ambitious.

Water Works: A Gateway Park to the Mississippi River

Gallery

Arts and Culture

Tom Weber

Author

A major overhaul of three blocks along the Mississippi River would reshape an already signature, high-traffic section of the downtown Minneapolis riverfront.


Mpls riverfront overhaul includes reclaimed canal, pavilion

Tom Weber / MPR Photo

Courtesy of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation

For 12,000 years, the Mississippi River has powered through Minnesota, where it’s scrawled a deep gorge like a signature through limestone and prairie. The source of this massive geological imprint was the River’s only true waterfall, now known as St. Anthony Falls, which receded over millennia and now graces the heart of Minneapolis. It is this unique geography, geology and history that inspired a schematic vision for a new destination park on the West Bank of St. Anthony Falls, developed by the Minneapolis Parks Foundation in partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, and conveyed to Park Board Commissioners on Wednesday, October 22. Learn more at http://MplsParksFoundation.org

Minneapolis riverfront overhaul includes reclaimed canal, pavilion

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