Met Council approves plan adopted by Minneapolis Park Commissioners last September
On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the Hiawatha Golf Course Area Plan (Hiawatha Plan) was adopted by the Metropolitan Council (Met Council). This major project milestone allows the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) to continue its study of the area and begin the preliminary design phase.
Regional Park Planning
The area included in the Hiawatha Plan is part of a regional park, Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park. The Met Council administers and provides funding for all regional parks in the seven-county metro area, which includes ten local government agencies who implement park plans.
The Met Council is comprised of 17 members who are appointed by the governor. Every long-term plan produced by agencies overseeing regional parks and trails must meet the requirements established in the Met Council 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan, which was adopted by the Met Council in December 2020.
Because the bulk of the park planning work for Hiawatha Golf Course Area happened in 2018, 2019, and 2020, the MPRB followed the Met Council’s previous Regional Parks Policy Plan guidelines. In particular, the park planning process does still meet the equity analysis guidelines adopted in December 2020 by the Met Council.
The MPRB also has its own community engagement policy that helps ensure all voices have an opportunity to be heard during park planning efforts. For example, during the planning process for the Hiawatha Plan, the MPRB hosted five focus groups to hear specifically from the African American community, Indigenous community, neighbors concerned with groundwater intrusion, golfers, and others concerned with environmental conditions.
The Hiawatha Plan reflects this engagement with its expanded diversity of uses and the “nine experiences” that begin to shape and tell various stories of people, places, and nature.
For more information on the regional park planning process, visit the Met Council Park Planning page.
Project Timeline
The MPRB is beginning a new series of processes to start implementing the Hiawatha Plan. In 2023, this will include meetings with the public and various stakeholders and beginning a series of additional studies. Planned studies are related to groundwater, stormwater, traffic and parking, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, and ALTA/topographical survey. This information will inform the preliminary design process beginning in 2024.
Click to open an enlarged graphic in a new tab
Over the next few months, the MPRB will draft a Project Charter with a detailed timeline. The Charter will be presented to MPRB Commissioners, who will consider its approval.
A Community Engagement Assessment and Plan will be coupled with the Charter. These are flexible documents and required by MPRB bylaws prior to beginning any park project. The Charter will help ensure the process remains aligned with the MPRB system-wide goals and the goals of the Park Plan. It will include the basic project information, the project purpose and objectives, roles and responsibilities of project team members, major project goals, potential scopes of work for consulting services, project background, project schedule and milestones, and initial project funding sources.
Sign up for project email updates at the new project page. All updates and relevant materials will be posted there.