Southwest Parks Plan approved by Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board of Commissioners

Southwest Parks Plan approved by Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board of Commissioners

Plan includes long-term plans for 42 neighborhood parks, six potential parks, and three park search areas in Southwest Minneapolis

The Southwest Service Area Master Plan has been approved by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) of Commissioners!

The Southwest Service Area Master Plan, called the Southwest Parks Plan for short, includes long-term plans for 42 neighborhood parks, one regional feature, six potential parks, and three park search areas in Southwest Minneapolis. It sets a vision for the improvement, operation and management of all neighborhood parks in Southwest Minneapolis over the next 20-30 years. The plan was created after nearly two years of community-based engagement, planning and design with individuals, neighborhood groups and community organizations throughout Southwest Minneapolis.

The document represents the final recommendations of the Southwest Parks Plan Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which met 16 times over 18 months. The MPRB would like to thank the CAC for its thoughtful, impassioned dedication to the planning process, and the thousands of community members, park users and stakeholders who took the time to participate in this process.

Four amendments to the plan were approved by MPRB Commissioners before the plan passed:

• Modify King’s Highway graphic, narrative and estimates to eliminate off-road bike path, and instead retain existing conditions.
• Modify Painter Park graphic, narrative and estimates to eliminate southern basketball court, and instead retain existing tennis court. May require adjusting skate park size.
• Modify Washburn Fair Oaks Park graphic, narrative and estimates to add a dog park and remove dog park search area.
• Modify Whittier Park graphic, narrative and estimates to remove the parking lot. Direct MPRB staff to work with stakeholders to determine amenities to replace parking lot.

The links below show the plan except for the four amendments listed above. The final park designs will be used to build improvements funded by the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan, which dedicates $11 million annually over 20 years (2017-2036) to revitalize Minneapolis neighborhood parks.

Several Southwest parks have NPP20 funding allocations in the near future, including 28th Street Tot Lot, Fuller, Kenny, Lynnhurst, Painter, The Mall and Whittier. Check the interactive Park Project Map online to see funding allocations for park projects over the next six years.

Park Plans

This project does not include recreation centers or areas classified as regional parkland, which include: Bde Maka Ska Park, Beard’s Plaisance, Brownie Park, Cedar Lake Park, Cedar Lake Regional Trail, Kenilworth Regional Trail, Lake Harriet Park, Lake of the Isles Park, Lyndale Park, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail, Morrison Park (home of Minneapolis Institute of Art), Roberts Bird Sanctuary, Soo Line Community Garden and William Berry Park. The one exception is the Loon Lake Trolley Path. The plan for that park space will be amended into the Bde Maka Ska-Harriet Master Plan.

Many Southwest Minneapolis regional park spaces already have long-term plans as part of the Bde Maka Ska-Harriet Master Plan, which was approved by MPRB Commissioners on May 3, 2017.