Smith Triangle Park Sculpture and Site Improvements Sculpture Renovation and Site Improvements

Milestones (anticipated project schedule by month/season)

January – February 2026: Initial project scoping
March-August 2026: Community Engagement and Concept Design
Fall 2026: Concept Approval by Board of Commissioners
Fall-Winter 2026/27: Construction Documentation
Winter 2027: Project Bidding for Construction
Spring-Summer 2027: Construction Start
Fall 2027: Construction Concludes

History

Smith Triangle Park is located at the intersections of Hennepin Avenue South, Emerson Avenue South and West 24th Street. The park is named for C.A. Smith and his wife who donated the land which was officially accepted in 1900. This was not the first time this plot of land was considered to become a park. When attempts were made to acquire Hennepin Avenue as a parkway in 1884 (the project was ultimately abandoned in 1905), the owners of the land had proposed to create a park at the same location, but the Board voted against acquisition at that time for reasons that are not clear.

The triangle was filled with soil, graded, and seeded in 1901 at the request of the donors, but gutters and curbs were not added until 1909. Little else was done to improve the triangle until 1967, when the state highway department took possession of Virginia Triangle at the intersection of Hennepin, Lyndale, and Groveland Avenues, to make room for the new Interstate Highway 94. Virginia Triangle was where a statue of Thomas Lowry, founder of the original Minneapolis and St. Paul streetcar lines and a significant park benefactor, had stood since 1915. The statue and accompanying monument (referred to collectively as the Thomas Lowry Memorial), engraved with the words “Be this community strong and enduring—it will do homage to the men who guided its youth”, were designed by Austrian American sculptor Karl Bitter. With the loss of Virginia Triangle, the Park Board decided to relocate the memorial to nearby Smith Triangle. The cost of the relocation was funded by the state highway department.

In 2015, the memorial was locally designated as a Historic Landmark for the City of Minneapolis. That same year the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission released design guidelines for any future alteration, restoration, or relocation of the Thomas Lowry Memorial. In 2017 the Park Board hired an art conservator to complete a condition assessment of it.

The current park is highly urban 0.26-acre triangle has Hennepin Avenue running along the eastern edge, the backside of a single-story commercial building immediately to the north, Temple Israel synagogue across the street to the west, and local businesses near the southern point. The small space appears dominated by the centrally placed Thomas Lowry Memorial as there is little else other than vegetation and paths surrounding it. The sculpture, elevated plaza, carved monument with text, and bronze light poles are all part of this historic landmark.

Located along a busy street in a dense neighborhood surrounded by concrete and buildings, the triangle can be a loud place. The limited seating and activity options also make this triangle feel somewhat unwelcoming as a place to relax. One user group exception is skateboarders who have venerated and used the park for years. Behind the memorial several trees are planted, and visibility is somewhat obscured by vegetation. At the south end of the park are two interior paths connecting the memorial to sidewalks along the east and west sides of the park. Several benches and the park name sign are located here as well.

Project Overview

Smith Triangle Park hosts an existing Thomas Lowry Memorial sculpture that has experienced some weathering and damage to its structure. Part of this project improvement is to renovate this existing sculpture and protect from current site challenges, such as skateboards that are currently being used on parts of the sculpture.  In addition to the sculpture renovation, the project looks to provide updates to the park that could include an open picnic area, new outdoor programing, and a new open play area or skate spot.  Additional site features at Smith Triangle Park may include an expansion of naturalized areas or tree groves, planting beds, lighting, and additional seating areas.  Limited funding is currently available and with the renovation of the sculpture being the priority, community engagement will be essential to help recognize how the community would like the remainder of the funding to be allocated within this park.

Funding

NPP20 2023 $232,000
TOTAL $232,000