Team led by Cuningham Group hired for concept and schematic design of new building, which is expected to open in 2023
Posted on 3 December, 2020The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) selected a team led by Cuningham Group to design a new park pavilion at Bde Maka Ska after the previous pavilion burned down in 2019.
The new pavilion will include a commercial kitchen, expanded and accessible bathrooms, and additional space that will be defined as community engagement and design work takes place throughout 2021. Construction is expected in 2022 with concessions resuming for the 2023 season.
The Cuningham Group team was selected out of 18 qualified firms that responded to a Request for Qualifications issued in September 2020. The design team also includes:
- Full Circle Indigenous Planning, cultural and community engagement
- Hallberg Engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering
- BKBM Engineers, structural engineering
- Pierce Pini and Associates, civil engineering
- Boelter, kitchen design
- New History, cultural resources
- Loeffler Construction and Consulting, construction expertise and cost estimation
“I’m excited about our community engagement process planned for the next few months, supported by Full Circle Indigenous Planning,” said MPRB President Jono Cowgill. “It’s great to move forward during this difficult time to bring a key amenity that stood for nearly 90 years back to the park.”
Community engagement will begin in January with a mix of virtual and limited in-person opportunities. In addition, the Bde Maka Ska-Harriet Master Plan, approved in 2017, will provide guidance for the new pavilion and other onsite improvements.
The former Bde Maka Ska concessions pavilion, also called a “refectory,” was built in 1930. It was engulfed in flames on May 16, 2019 and torn down 12 days later. The MPRB paved over the site to provide a temporary gathering space at the popular northeastern corner of the lake and installed electrical hookups for Lola’s food trucks, which was the vendor for the pavilion. A new permanent drinking fountain has been installed onsite and electricity was restored to the Minneapolis Sailing Center and Wheel Fun rentals.
Please visit the Bde Maka Ska Refectory Rebuild project page (minneapolisparks.org/bmsrebuild) and enter you email address into the box under “Subscribe to Email Updates” to stay informed and up-to-date on this project.