New parkland elements come into focus Above the Falls

Clockwise from upper left: a redesigned walkway on the Plymouth Avenue Bridge, the 26th Avenue Greenway Pier; sample trail markings in front of the Sample Room; the Lowry Avenue connector.

Photo: Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board

In early May, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board released initial designs for several parks in the Above the Falls area.

Scherer Park, on the northeast corner of the Plymouth Avenue Bridge, will be a signature space in the Park Boards efforts to reorient the areas riverfront. At Scherer, a new riverfront park will have a beach that allows for canoeing, kayaking and other access to the water. Halls Island, an historic island at the site, will be re-created as new river habitat. For a little razzle-dazzle, take a look at the fly-through video of the new Scherer Park design.

Other designs were released for other elements in the Above the Falls area. To complement development at Scherer Park, the Plymouth Avenue Bridge is to be redesigned and incorporate much-improved pedestrian facilities along its northern edge. To improve river access, a new pier will be installed at the end of the soon-to-be-developed 26th Avenue Greenway that runs through the heart of North Minneapolis neighborhoods. To help people find their way through the area newly-developing trail system, a system of trail markings will be developed. And a proposed connection will help people make their way from the southwest edge of the new Lowry Avenue bridge down to a future riverfront parkway below.

Before most of the projects can proceed, significant fundraising needs to take place.

Above the Falls Plans move toward approval

For the last several years, the City and Park Board have worked together to adopt a renewed vision for the Above the Falls Area. The land use plan was heard at the City Council's Zoning & Planning Committee on May 21st, and is expected to be approved soon. Major remaining issues include plan elements dealing with the site of roofing manufacturer GAF, the amount of proposed parkland at Upper Harbor Terminal, and the need for design standards to inform the planning process. Additional context can be found in last month's article on the Above the Falls plan.

Likewise, in the next couple months, the Minneapolis Park Board expects to move forward its piece of planning for the area – a revised Above the Falls Regional Park Plan. The Park Board will soon announce a public hearing schedule for that plan as well. Together, the Parks plan and Land Use plan will guide development in the area over future decades.