Public hearing on Above the Falls Regional Park Master Plan scheduled August 7

Posted on 29 July, 2019

Public hearing begins at 6 pm in the Board Room at the Mary Merrill Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Headquarters

A public hearing on the Above the Falls Regional Park Master Plan is scheduled at 6 pm during the regular Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019, at Mary Merrill MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road.

Interested parties who wish to speak about the master plan can sign up outside the Board Room before the hearing or by calling 612-230-6400 before 3 pm on Aug. 7. A draft of the plan opened for a 45-day public comment period on Feb. 14, 2019 and closed April 1, 2019. Comments received during that time have been reviewed and, as warranted, incorporated into the current draft Master Plan for Board consideration.

The master plan is split into 12 sections and two appendices, which are linked below. It’s also available on the Above the Falls Regional Park Master Plan project page, in the right column under “Key Documents.”

Project Background

In 2013, the MPRB created the Above the Falls Regional Park Master Plan and the City of Minneapolis (City) adopted its Above the Falls Master Plan Update, which guides redevelopment of areas around the planned regional park.

In the 2013 plans, the City and MPRB recommended different boundaries for a regional park at the City-owned Upper Harbor Terminal (UHT) site. City and MPRB staff have conducted engagement and planning work around the UHT site since late 2015 to help inform a regional park boundary.

Guided first by a Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies and a three-way Exclusive Rights Agreement between the City, MPRB and a development team, the group has created a concept plan that includes a regional park boundary. Now the MPRB has updated the ATF Plan and included the proposed UHT regional park boundary with new appendices to supplement the original work.

The ATF Plan will guide park land acquisition, development and management for riverfront parkland in North and Northeast Minneapolis between the Plymouth and Camden bridges. The plan describes a sustainable balance of recreation, ecology, and culture within ATF Regional Park. It also presents strategies for project implementation and park management, including costs and maintenance practices.

ATF Regional Park will be a catalyst for the revitalization of the upper river area by creating a framework of recreation and restored ecological function. Eventually, the regional park boundary will encompass continuous public parks and trails, an extended West River Parkway, riverfront access points, significant park components and habitat and water quality enhancements.