In 2016, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the City of Minneapolis approved ordinances to reverse years of underfunding in neighborhood parks. The 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan (NPP20) is a long-term initiative that will transform the neighborhood park system with the following measures:

  • Protect current levels of MPRB funding.
  • Dedicate an additional $11 million annually, through 2036, in NPP20 funds for increased maintenance, rehabilitation and capital investments in neighborhood parks.
  • Allocate NPP20 funds using a data-driven, criteria-based system to help address racial and economic equity.

Where does NPP20 funding go?

Over its 20-year term, NPP20 will fund thousands of projects, large and small, in some 160 neighborhood parks throughout the city. NPP20 funds three key program areas:

  • Increased maintenance to help park facilities last longer and work better
  • Rehabilitation projects to address critical failures and make necessary replacements from a maintenance backlog
  • Capital investments to replace major park facilities beyond their lifespan, as specified in approved master plans for an individual neighborhood parks

As NPP20-funded projects are implemented over time, the overall quality and condition of neighborhood parks and park assets will steadily improve. Click on the tabs below for more information on each program area.

How does NPP20 help address racial and economic equity?

NPP20’s criteria-based funding system is the first of its kind in the U.S. It uses seven quantifiable criteria that focus on racial and economic equity to ensure that capital investments are targeted first in the parks and communities where they are needed the most. Neighborhood parks are ranked annually based on these criteria, which include:

  • Community characteristics
    • areas of concentrated poverty and/or communities with 50% or more people of color
    • population density
    • youth population
    • crime statistics
  • Park characteristics for each neighborhood park
    • condition of park assets
    • lifespan of park assets
    • comparison of the capital investment over the previous 15 years with the total cost to replace all park assets

In addition, the full set of criteria receives an annual review to address unintended consequences of the NPP20-related ordinances and adapt to changes in neighborhoods and in parks due to shifting demographics and economics. Equity is also a factor in allocating rehabilitation funds, while all neighborhood parks throughout the system benefit increased maintenance. Over the 20-year course of the plan, all neighborhood parks will be improved. Find a park’s NPP20 ranking [PDF] More about the NPP20 ranking system [PDF] Learn more about MPRB’s racial equity work. Read the equity ordinance related to the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan.

Fact Sheets

What's New

2016 and 2017

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Key Documents

NPP20 Annual Report

Neighborhood Park Equity Rankings

Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

Find out more about the Capital Improvement Program and six-year plans

Citywide Comparison of Park Investments

Closing the Gap: Investing in Neighborhood Parks Initiative - 2015 - 2016

Closing the Gap: Investing in Neighborhood Parks (Closing the Gap) was an initiative of MPRB Superintendent Jayne Miller and Park Board Commissioners. The Closing the Gap initiative shared information with Minneapolis residents and partners about the condition and service level of neighborhood parks; and gathered information about investment priorities for replacement, operating, and maintenance of existing park assets. It assessed the impacts of the age of the system and deferred maintenance – or delaying regular upkeep past the point of repair – have had on more than 150 neighborhood parks in Minneapolis.

Capital Investments

These are projects to build, replace or reconstruct major park facilities and amenities: for example, recreation centers, athletic fields, playgrounds and pools. Goals for NPP20 capital investments:

  • Implement approved master plans for an individual neighborhood park or a Service Area Master Plan
  • Support MPRB’s RecQuest initiative to ensure that recreation facilities, programs and services align with current and long-term community needs
  • Align with MPRB’s goals to increase accessibility and racial equity
  • Address the needs of diverse park users and better reflect changing neighborhoods
  • Focus on parks in under-served areas of the city

Funding sources NPP20 funding helps to build racial and economic equity and sustainability in neighborhood parks. In some cases it supplements previously approved Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funding; in others, it allows for improvements that wouldn’t otherwise be funded. It’s important to note that the CIP allocates funds to projects in both neighborhood parks and regional parks; NPP20 funding, approved in 2016, is dedicated to neighborhood parks. Click on the links below to see parks that have allocated NPP20 funding for that year (or view an interactive map of park projects). Note: Funding amounts are based on MPRB’s 2017 budget.

2017

Bassett’s Creek $92,825 NPP20
Bossen Field Park  $737,500 NPP20 + $862,300 other funds
Central Gym Park* $1,100,000 NPP20
Folwell Park* ** $75,000 + $264,000 other funds
Painter Park (project page coming soon) $297,625 other funds (+ $1,100,000 NPP20 in 2019)
Peavey Park $264,600 other funds (+ $1,000,000 NPP20 in 2018)
Phillips Community Center Aquatics Renovation $725,500 NPP20
Powderhorn Park $75,000 NPP20 (and $1,100,000 in 2021)

*These parks also have proposed funding from park dedication fees assessed on development in Minneapolis. ** Planning for this project is taking place through the North Service Area Master Plan

2018

Currie Park $765,275 NPP20 (+$2,047,125 NPP20 in 2019)
Jordan Park*
 $1,270,000 NPP20
Lovell Square Park $350,000 NPP20 (+$50,000 NPP20 in 2019)
Peavey Park $1,000,000 (+$264,600 other funds in 2017)
Perkins Hill Park* $350,000 NPP20
Phelps Field Park* $500,000 NPP20
Stewart Field Park* $300,000 NPP20

*These parks also have proposed funding from park dedication fees assessed on development in Minneapolis.

2019

Currie Park $2,047,125 NPP20 (+ $765,275 NPP20 in 2018)
Farwell Park $279,100 NPP20 (+ $420,900 NPP20 in 2020)
Lovell Square Park $50,000 NPP20 (+ $350,000 NPP20 in 2018)
North Commons Park  $367, 500 other funds (+$1,8000,000 NPP20 in 2020)
Painter Park $1,000,000 NPP20 (+ $297, 675 other funds in 2017)
Whittier Park $45,370 NPP20 (+ $306,495 other funds and $755,130 NPP20 in 2020)

2020

Corcoran Park $331,975 NPP20 (+ $618,025 NPP20 in 2021)
Farwell Park $420,900 NPP20 (+$279,100 NPP20 in 2019)
North Commons Park $1,800,000 NPP20 (+ $367,500 other funds in 2019)
Hall Park $371,375 NPP20 (+ $378,625 NPP20 in 2021)
North Commons Park $1,800,000 NPP20 (+ $367,500 other funds in 2019)
Whittier Park $755,130 NPP20 and $306, 495 other funds (+$45,370 NPP20 in 2019)

2021

28th Street Totlot $200,000 NPP20/other funds + $200,000 matching funds
Cocoran Park $331,975 NPP20 (+ $618,025 NPP20 in 2020)
Hall Park $378,625 NPP20 (+$371,375 NPP30 in 2020)
Powderhorn Park $1,100,000 NPP20 (+ $75,000 NPP20 in 2017)
Sumner Field Park $100,000 NPP20

2022

Audubon Park $338,000 NPP20
Cedar Avenue Field Park $600,000 NPP20
Columbia Park $338,000 NPP20
East Phillips Park $428,464 NPP20
Elliott Park $1,502,775 NPP20
Franklin Steele Park $740,000 NPP20
Harrison Park $1,000,000 NPP20
Lake Hiawatha $338,000 NPP20
Murphy Square Park $200,000 NPP20
Riverside Park $1,398,000 NPP20
Willard Park $1,000,000 NPP20

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation projects repair, restore or replace a wide range of park facilities and amenities that are not part of capital improvement projects. The goals for NPP20 rehabilitation program are to enhance park safety; meet critical codes and regulations; implement MPRB’s Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan; address critical failures and make necessary replacements from a maintenance backlog; improve or restore functionality, efficiency and long-term performance; and focus on park features most in need of repair or replacement.

Current NPP20 Rehabilitation Projects

Information will be posted under each work category as projects are announced.

About the NPP20 Rehabilitation Program

MPRB staff developed an expanded program to identify rehabilitation projects and to guide decision-making in prioritizing and scheduling them. This system accounts for a wide range of projects in terms of scale and complexity, and allows for flexibility due to the changing conditions of park features. The program is based around four key processes:

  1. Comprehensive inventory of all park features (or “assets”) that require maintenance, repair or eventual replacement
  2. Condition assessment of assets by qualified industry professionals
  3. Ranking of assets’ need for rehabilitation as critical, high, medium or low
  4. Prioritization of projects considering more than a dozen factors, including seasonality, cost estimates and efficiencies in project delivery

Read the full NPP20 Rehabilitation Program overview [PDF]

Operations, Maintenance and Repairs

This program area is one of three “legs” – along with capital investments and rehabilitation projects that supports the NPP20 initiative and ensures Minneapolis’ 160 neighborhood parks remain a vital part of their communities. It includes increasing and sustaining service levels for a range of maintenance practices that are critical to revitalizing all neighborhood parks. Regular maintenance improves the performance and maximizes the service life of park equipment and amenities. That, in turn, improves efficiency and sustainability throughout the park system.
During the initial years of the NPP20 initiative, MPRB is working to increase maintenance in the following 11 categories at all 160 neighborhood parks in Minneapolis. For more information on that process, click on the links below.

  • Mowing
  • Building maintenance
  • Playground inspections
  • Horticulture/garden maintenance
  • Site amenities: Inspection, replacement, repair (benches, tables, grills)
  • Sidewalk surface maintenance, repair
  • Plumbing startup/shut-down timeline
  • Tree pruning
  • Asphalt maintenance and repair
  • Rotating roof inspections
  • Electrical, boilers and HVAC Inspections

Increasing maintenance: goals and process

Goals

  • Incorporate environmentally sustainable practices
  • Improve the integrity and durability of parks and park amenities
  • Incorporate new and increased maintenance practices at all neighborhood parks

Process for increasing maintenance

MPRB is following a five-stage plan to increase maintenance in eight categories. The time frame varies for each category but the goal is to fully initiate new maintenance practices by mid-summer of 2018.

  1. Analyze current procedure
  2. Evaluate and develop work plan
  3. Train staff and implement program changes
  4. Evaluate
  5. Fully initiate new procedures

Initial targets for increasing maintenance in 11 park maintenance categories

Operations, Maintenance and Repairs Category Pre-NPP20 Service Level 2018 Service Level Target Service Level
Turf Mowing every 14 days every 10 days every 10 days
Building Maintenance 126,067 hours/year 145,000 hours/year 145,000 hours/year
Play Area Inspections/Repairs 2 times/year 2 times/year 4 times/year
Gardens and Planted Areas – Maintenance 4,080 hours/year 6,300 hours/year 6,300 hours/year
Outdoor Park Furniture – Repairs/Replacements every 20 years every 10 years every 10 years
Plumbing startup/shutdown (spring & fall) 6 to 8 weeks 5 to 7 weeks 3 to 4 weeks
Tree Pruning every 10 years every 7.5 years every 7.5 years
Sidewalks and Concrete – Inspections/Repairs .25 mile/year 1 mile/year 1 mile/year
Asphalt Surfaces – Inspections/Repairs none annually annually
Roof (annual rotating basis) none annually annually
HVAC Systems, Boilers, Electrical Systems periodically annually annually

Get more information on our park maintenance page.