The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Grand Rounds Missing Link is a 140-year trail gap in the Grand Rounds of Minneapolis that stretches from East River Road and Franklin Avenue in SE Minneapolis to Stinson Parkway and St Anthony Parkway in NE Minneapolis. There have been several master plans developed over the past 100 years to complete the Grand Rounds. In 2009 there was a master planning effort that was supported by community members and MPRB but was never adopted by Metropolitan Council due to a lack of interagency support for the trail route and vision. In 2019, the trail plan was revisited and an updated plan was adopted by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as well as Metropolitan Council. The 2019 Regional Trail Plan for the Grand Rounds Missing Link is the adopted policy direction for MPRB and the Met Council. Met Council required a single route for the master plan, but MPRB opted to maintain a flexible vision for the middle segment of the Grand Rounds Missing Link. The GRML moves through an industrial part of Minneapolis that is still an active workforce center. It will require extensive multi-jurisdictional coordination since most of the trail routes run along City and County ROW or property owned by other entities including the University of Minnesota and private land holders. In development of the 2019 Master Plan, there was a Regional Trail Committee as well as a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that met to advise in the route selection process. These committees were both open to the public as well. The CAC recommended three routes to the MPRB Board of Commissioners for consideration, and the Board selected on proposed route along with 2 alternate routes in order to be open to opportunities as they arise. The committees developed a set of Route Considerations to guide development of the trail along with the routes. There are design solutions for each of the proposed routes that will meet the Trail Route Considerations.
The 2019 adopted Route Considerations for the Grand Rounds Missing Link are as follows:
- Feasible
- A vision founded on interagency coordination
- MPRB Parkway typology wherever possible
- Connect the river to St. Anthony Parkway
- Consider importance of industry to the city
- Mitigate environmental justice challenges in industrial areas and corridors near freeways
- Be an asset to the neighborhoods though which it passes
- Be a safe route for all users
- Regional trail connections to public transportation
Near-term Implementation and Funding Priorities:
The GRML is slated for a CIP allocation in 2024 and 2025, and there is also Park Acquisition Opportunity
Funding available through the Met Council. There was also a successful State Bonding request for $5.5 million in 2023. The cost estimate for the full GRML is close to $30 million, so the funding allocations over the next 5 years will be prioritized towards incremental planning, feasibility, acquisition, design, and construction efforts for the routes. The bonding funding allocation will focus on implementation of the Grand Rounds Missing Link north of the railyard in the SE Como and Mid-City Industrial neighborhoods and into Saint Anthony Village. The 2024 CIP allocation will focus on areas south of the railyard in the Prospect Park Neighborhood. All near-term funding will be focused on design, construction, and acquisition.
Starting in fall of 2023, regional trail planning, design, and construction is kicking into gear for the Grand Rounds Missing Link. This multiyear effort is supported by state bonding and regional parks and trails funding. The following efforts are underway:
- The CE Assessment and Plan was submitted to the Board in September of 2023
- An RFP for Design and Engineering services will be issued this Fall 2023
- MPRB is hosing an interagency elected official tour of GRML this fall
- Ongoing conversations with technical advisors and agency partners
- Unlock bonding and Parks and Trails funding in the first quarter of 2024
- Continue to explore land acquisition and park dedication opportunities
- Design, land acquisition, construction to follow in 2025-2030
- Bridge over the railroad will require longer-term interagency coordination