Above the Falls Master Plan released for public comment
A view of the Above the Falls area, stretching northward from the Plymouth Avenue Bridge.
Photo: Courtesy Design Center Image Bank Copyright ©Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
The latest land use plan was released at a December Minneapolis Riverfront Forum; the 45-day public comment on that plan continues through January 24th.
To date, Friends of the Mississippi River has had three principal comments on the draft revised Above the Falls Plan.
On the west side of the river, at the 48-acre, City-owned Upper Harbor Terminal, unfortunately, the plans call for a smaller, narrower park between Dowling and Lowry Avenues than previous plans envisioned. This is disappointing especially since the property is already in public ownership and could be converted to parks in the near term. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board prefers a larger park in that location so concerned citizens may have a chance to change the plan before it becomes final.
Also on the West side, adjacent to North Minneapolis, FMR believes care needs to be taken to make sure the industrial riverfront transitions in such a way as to make it hospitable as a park as well. In areas dominated by industry, that means adding enough riverfront parks to attract a critical mass of people that make the park a legitimate destination. That also means in the long-term, transitioning some of the heavy industrial uses in the area to more park-friendly uses such as residential or commercial.
On the east side of the river, adjacent to Northeast Minneapolis, we need to ensure that private uses along the riverfront transition to green space, through the involvement of willing sellers.
We encourage those that live and work in the area to submit comments to the City via their website before the 45-day comment period ends on January 24th.
In the meantime, schematic design is continuing for core elements of the RiverFIRST plan, which will redevelop key parks in the area. Scherer Park has seen the most design activity to date. The Park Board expects the adoption process for an updated regional park plan to draw to a close this summer.