The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will present plans for the Sheridan Memorial Park veterans memorial at an open house February 21, offering the community an opportunity to review and comment on the plans. The open house will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board headquarters building, 2117 W River Road.
The memorial will be located at the south end of the Sheridan Memorial Park, with an overlook at the edge of the Mississippi River. It will honor all military veterans from the nine wars in which Minnesotans served. Plans call for a central sculpture on a circular plaza surrounded by five concentric rings made up of lawn, a perimeter walk, benches and markers, and native grasses respectively. Closely planted trees will comprise the outermost ring. The nine markers along one of the outer concentric rings will each bear a description of one of the nine wars. A tenth “empty” marker will represent the precarious nature of peace.
The site component of the memorial is expected to be completed by Veterans Day 2012. The central sculpture will explore the idea of memorial and sacrifice, and the process to select an artist to create the sculpture and markers is to begin within the month. Fabrication and installation of the sculpture and markers is anticipated to be complete by Memorial Day 2013.
The Sheridan Neighborhood Organization and local veterans have worked tirelessly over the last five years to raise funds to add to a state grant and to develop the memorial. Over $400,000 is now available to construct the memorial. Anyone still wishing to donate to the project may do so by sending a check to Sheridan Memorial Park c/o Sheridan Neighborhood Organization, 909 Main St NE, Lower Level, Minneapolis, MN 55413. "Sheridan Memorial" should be in the memo line of the check.
Located on the east side of the Mississippi River just north of Broadway, Sheridan Memorial Park is one of the newest parks in the Minneapolis park system and the only named park in the Sheridan neighborhood. The park’s riverbank was recently stabilized and the uplands were graded and seeded to lawn. When fully developed, the park will provide a wide range of natural resource-related recreational opportunities. Trails in the park will connect to the regional trail system planned along the Mississippi River. The park’s concept plan also envisions a picnic area with restrooms and shelters, a playground, a volleyball court, and a large central green.
To receive project updates and meeting notices via email, go to www.minneapolisparks.org and click on the red envelope. For additional information on the project, visit the Sheridan Memorial Park project page on the MPRB website.
