Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition winner announced
The winner of the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition was announced last Thursday, wrapping up a five-month whirlwind design effort led by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.
Out of the four finalists, Tom Leader Studio of Berkeley and Kennedy & Violich Architecture of Boston led the team that was selected by a jury made up of design professionals and community leaders. The winning team, which includes several Minnesota-based firms, will be awarded a commission to design a riverfront park project that could be developed within five years.
The TLS/KVA team's vision for five miles of river from the Stone Arch Bridge to the city limits was focused on four themes - water, health, mobility and green economy, and included restored islands and wetlands, expanded bike trails and bridges, urban agriculture and other green industries and an expansive land bridge over I-94 connecting Farview Park and the northside neighborhoods with the river.
All four finalists in the competition presented their designs to a packed auditorium at the Walker Art Center on January 27, and videos of their work can be viewed on the Design Competition's website. Although just one team was selected as the winner, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board can utilize ideas from all four teams as they proceed with riverfront park development.
Moving ahead with Minneapolis' Above the Falls Plan has been a major focus for FMR for more than a decade. Although the plan has broad community support and has won many awards, the vision for continuous parks and trails on both sides of the river in north and northeast Minneapolis has been slow in coming to fruition.
"The Design Competition has created some great forward-thinking ideas for the riverfront and great energy in the community," said Whitney Clark, FMR's executive director. "We look forward to being engaged as the Park Board, the City and the neighborhoods move ahead with this exciting initiative."