Community Update #2 – March 2024

Posted on 22 March, 2024

The East Phillips Open Spaces Park Plan will create a 20- to 30-year vision for East Phillips Park and Cedar Avenue Field Park in the East Philips neighborhood. A ‘vision’ includes an updated design for each park and policy recommendations that MPRB would work to implement over the next 20-30 years.

What has MPRB been working on since the project launched in Fall 2023?

MPRB joined community events in Fall and Winter 2023, including a Back-to-School event at Cedar Avenue Field, pop-up events at East Phillips Rec Center, and the community’s Clean Sweep.

The project also launched the first round of Community Collaborator work with Little Earth Residents Association (LERA) and East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC). (See more on Community Collaborators below).

Right Now
We’re in a learning and listening mode! Share your ideas when you see us at the parks and in the community this spring and summer.

Engagement Highlights – September to November 2023

Check out what East Phillips community members are saying about their neighborhood parks.

 

Cedar Avenue Field Park

East Phillips Park
What works at Cedar Avenue Field? What works at East Phillips Park?
  • Like the playground
  • Basketball court – needs to be bigger, adjustable rim
  • The field works well for events and Powwows
  • Basketball courts
  • Enjoy the playground
  • Soccer field
  • Events in the rec center

What doesn’t work here?

What doesn’t work here?
  • No indoor space for youth sports
  • Intersections on Cedar Avenue are unsafe
  • Not enough seating for elders near playground or field for events
  • No bathrooms
  • Pool is unsanitary
  • Needles in the park, parents can’t let their kids play in some areas
  • No room for youth from Little Earth to play basketball

What do you want to see at
Cedar Avenue Field Park?

  • Water feature (splash pad, pool, slide, etc.)
  • Indigenize the park:
    o Space for cultural activities and ceremonial practices
    o Firepit for ceremonial purposes
    o Tobacco use for ceremonial purposes
  • Design elements in 2017 plan, especially:
    o Full basketball court
    o Splash pad
    o Grills/covered picnic area
    o These give park users options
  • More swings (for all ages)
  • More lighting, cameras, other safety features

What do you want to see
at East Phillips Park?

  • Better bathrooms
  • Sports improvements:
    o Adjustable basketball rims
    o Indoor soccer dome
    o Nets behind goals
    o Lighted soccer field for evening games
    o Artificial turf field
    o Multi-sport court
  • Improved swimming pool/splash pad
  • Address safety
  • Lighting

Get involved and share your ideas

Online Survey

Tell us what you would like to see at East Phillips and Cedar Avenue Field! The survey is available is available in English and Spanish.

Share your input about East Phillips Parks!

¡Díganos qué piensa acerca de sus parques locales! 

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Check out the newsletters

February and March (en Español)

Invite us to your event or meet with Project Manager Emma Pachuta

Contact Emma at 612-499-3711 or epachuta@minneapolisparks.org

Paid Opportunities to Engage your Community!

Become a Community Collaborator

The MPRB’s Community Collaborator initiative is a paid opportunity for groups and residents in the community to host conversations and engage with East Phillips residents about parks and recreation.

The work of Community Collaborators will inform the design and priorities for the East Phillips Open Spaces Plan in 2024. Proposals to work as a Community Collaborator will be competitive; groups whose proposals are selected will receive funding to implement their idea.

We are seeking proposals that identify creative, innovative ways to engage different communities through digital platforms, in person, or both.

Examples of engagement could include but are not limited to:

  • Virtual coffee hour with community members
  • Story campaign with video interviews
  • Community open house
  • Focus group or community conversation

Friday, March 15: Community Collaborator applications available
Wednesday, April 17: Applications due

Get an application on the East Phillips project page: www.minneapolisparks.org/epparks

We’ve Hired a Design Team!

Over the winter, MPRB staff went through a hiring process to select a design team to work with MPRB and community on the design of both parks. The design team was selected by a panel of people from six MPRB departments and two community representatives, through the Community Collaborator program (see below).

Urban Ecosystems, a landscape architecture firm, has a team that will support community engagement, park design, and construct improvements to the parks.

We’ll share more about Urban Ecosystems in upcoming newsletters!