Week 17 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

The August 29 Market showed definite signs of autumn.  Mmmmmmmm.  :)

Fingerling potatoes - so cute.

I look forward to sweet corn ice cream from Sonny's every year, and I always have them pack a pint for me to take home.  :)

We got a kick out of this vintage mobile phone at the Tech Dump booth.

Fun kids shirt from Sassy Knitwear.

You know the season is changing when these beauties show up at the Market.

Ginger is really popular!  Dave took this picture at the Stone's Throw Urban Farm booth when the Market opened, and I came by about an hour later and was lucky to get one of the last pieces.

A rainbow of cherry tomatoes.

This watermelon juice from Zula is refreshing straight up, or with a shot of gin. ;)

The goat!

Congratulations to Singing Hills Goat Dairy on taking 1st place for their Goat Farmer cheese in the "Semi-hard, fresh, pressed Goat cheese" category at The Minnesota State Fair. There's some fierce competition out there!

In the News

August 30, 2015

PROPOSAL FOR TURBINES AT ST. ANTHONY FALLS IS ALREADY GENERATING PLENTY OF OPPOSITION

PAY-BY-PHONE PARKING COMES TO MPLS. DOWNTOWN, NORTH LOOP

WHEN THEY PAINT HIS MASTERPIECE: DYLAN PORTRAIT TO FILL A DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS WALL

KNEAD HELP: BAKER HOPES NEW MILL SPARKS MINNEAPOLIS FLOUR POWER

CITY CLEARS GAS STATION'S DEMOLITION OF 123-YEAR-OLD BUILDING

U.S. BANK PROVIDES FINANCING FOR TURNING PLYMOUTH BUILDING INTO HOTEL

NORTH LOOP'S LUMBERSEXUAL VIBE GETS BOOST WITH CONVERSION OF JACKSON BUILDING INTO HEWING HOTEL

DEVELOPER PLANS 'BREWTEL,' HEADQUARTERS IN ELLIOT PARK

BACK FROM THE DRAWING BOARD, KRAUS-ANDERSON HAS A MUCH BIGGER PLAN FOR ITS DOWNTOWN BLOCK

HERBIVOROUS BUTCHER WILL OPEN IN NORTHEAST THIS FALL

PANDORA OPENS DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS OFFICE TO PULL LOCAL ADVERTISERS TO STREAMING MUSIC SERVICE

MINNEAPOLIS PARK FUNDING MEETING PLANNED

THE LINE AND CREATIVE EXCHANGE PRESENT "CREATING COMMUNITY" ON SEPTEMBER 16

U.S. BANK STADIUM CONSTRUCTION WORKER KILLED, ANOTHER INJURED IN FALL

SPORTS SOUVENIR SHOP NEXT TO METRODOME IS MOVING ST. LOUIS PARK

TIME NEARLY UP FOR MINNEAPOLIS SOCCER STADIUM LAND

DOWNTOWN EAST COMMONS CLEARS ANOTHER HURDLE

People Serving People Needs Volunteers for the October 10 MN Beer Run

77 Volunteers Needed!    People Serving People is the charitable partner for first annual MN Beer Run, and they need volunteers to help make this fun event a success!   Please sign up for one of 77 volunteer positions available. Come as an individual or as a group!   They have several positions available on Saturday, October 10. Please click on the link below to see the available shifts and positions.   Click Here to learn more about volunteering for the annual MN Beer Run. All volunteers must be 18 years or older. Children 10-17 can volunteer with their parent. Please wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothing. Any questions, contact Mallory Haugen Mallory Haugen | Volunteer & Events Manager mhaugen@peopleservingpeople.org | 612.277.0256   Thank you!

Volunteer for Bicyclist & Pedestrian Counts September 15–17

Via an August 28 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

Minneapolis Public Works is gearing up to conduct its 9th annual bicyclist and pedestrian count and you can help! Volunteers are needed to count the number of bicyclists and pedestrians at over 100 locations throughout the city. Volunteering means people-watching with a purpose on a beautiful September afternoon from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on one of the count days of your choosing:

•Tuesday, September 15th
•Wednesday, September 16th
•Thursday, September 17th

Minneapolis Public Works conducts bicyclist and pedestrian counts in order to understand the impact of non-motorized traffic on streets, sidewalks and trails. Accurate counts help the City to evaluate existing conditions and inform future plans.

If you’re interested in volunteering please complete the online form which provides more details about volunteer duties.

To learn more about bicyclist and pedestrian counts check out our traffic count page where you will find traffic flow maps, past count reports and other fascinating and useful volunteer-powered data!

Thanks to all of our volunteers. We could not do this without you!

September 14 at Gold Medal Park - Movies In the Park: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

From the Film Society of MSP:

The Film Society is excited to announce an all new program of outdoor screenings! Join us September 14 at dusk for the inaugural presentation at Gold Medal Park, featuring a 40th anniversary screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the iconic comedy gem by Minneapolis native Terry Gilliam. See it for the first time, or see it again and introduce it to a new generation with this gloriously remastered HD restoration. We'll provide the coconuts.

Co-hosted by Cynthia Froid Group.

Congratulations to the 6th Annual MDID Greening & Public Realm Awards Winners

MINNEAPOLIS (August 26, 2015) — The Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District announced its 6^th Annual Greening & Public Realm Award winners today, a group that includes seven new winners among the 12 categories decided by a public online vote.

Included in the 12 award recipients [full list below] in this year’s categories are first-time winners Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant (Outdoor Café), Spoon & Stable (Streetscape Green Infrastructure), Central Lutheran Church (Streetscape Greening), Kenosha Building (Façade Greening), Aloft Minneapolis (Entryway Greening), 5^th Avenue Lofts & Security Warehouse Lofts (Public Realm Improvement) and Loring Park (Neighborhood).

Also among the winners is Loring Greenway in the Large Green Space category. Loring Greenway has now won in each of the six years the Greening Awards have been presented.

“The variety and quality of downtown green spaces is increasingly evident through our annual Greening Awards initiative,” said Steve Cramer, President & CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District. “As we continue to see more new nominees and winners, it shows the level of commitment our community is putting into adding and enhancing green space. Congratulations to all our winners and finalists for helping advance this important goal.”

MDID also announced it received a record-number of online participants in the voting process. Greening Award winners are selected exclusively by the public through an online vote, and this year’s final tally of 1,312 responses eclipsed last year’s number by 400 voters.

The Greening Awards, an MDID initiative since 2010, celebrate outstanding examples of private greening and placemaking happening in Downtown Minneapolis. They are intended to inspire all to work toward making downtown a greener and more vibrant place. MDID’s mission through the Greening Awards is to encourage all downtown businesses to participate in the greening effort.

MDID accepted nominations through an open social media and email submissions campaign throughout July leading up to a July 20 deadline, yielding 35 unique finalists. Submissions were divided into 12 categories based on the nature of the project. Finalist voting began August 10 and concluded August 24.

Winners will receive a commemorative Greening Award created by Wood from the Hood, a Minneapolis-based company that reclaims discarded trees from urban neighborhoods and creates high-quality wood products. Each award will display the year the award was issued.

Here are this year’s results:

Best Large Green Space Activation

·        Target Field Station — 34.4%

·        Government Center Plaza — 30.3%

·        Convention Center Plaza — 27.1%

·        Peavey Plaza — 8.2%

Best Small Green Space Activation

·        Piazza on the Mall – 57.6%

·        IDS Center PARKLOT presented by Bank of America – 42.4%

Best Large Green Space

·        Loring Greenway — 41.9%

·        Loring Park — 31.7%

·        Triangle Park — 19.7%

·        Elliot Park — 6.7%

Best Small Green Space

·        Assisi on 9^th Park — 67.0%

·        Target Plaza – South Entry — 33.0%

Best Outdoor Café

·        Dakota Jazz Club —  52.6%

·        Red Cow — 25.3%

·        8^th Street Grill — 22.1%

Best Streetscape Green Infrastructure

·        Spoon & Stable — 34.5%

·        5^th Avenue Lofts/Security Warehouse Lofts — 29.0%

·        RiverStation Condos — 19.8%

·        American Academy of Neurology — 16.7%

Best Streetscape Greening

·        Central Lutheran Church — 72.3%

·        222 Hennepin — 14.8%

·        The Foundry Home Goods — 12.9%

Best Façade Greening

·        Kenosha Building — 39.6%

·        Fifth Street Towers — 36.2%

·        Seven Event Destination — 14.4%

·        500 S. Washington — 9.8%

Best Entryway Greening

·        Aloft Minneapolis — 47.3%

·        Martin Patrick 3 — 34.7%

·        Cynthia Froid Group — 10.2%

·        Goldberg Bail Bonds — 7.8%

Best Public Realm Improvement

·        5^th Avenue Lofts/Warehouse Lofts — 25.3%

·        Central Lutheran Church —  24.2%

·        IDS Center PARKLOT presented by Bank of America — 16.9%

·        Soccer field at Elliot Park — 14.4%

·        Convention Center Plaza —  8.6%

·        Spoon & Stable — 7.5%

·        The Foundry House Goods — 3.1%

Best Neighborhood Overall

·        Loring Park — 45.4%

·        North Loop — 24.1%

·        Mill District — 22.1%

·        Elliot Park — 8.4%

Best Open Space Green Infrastructure

·        Target Field Station – 56.0%

·        MCTC – 44.0%

For more information on downtown greening, visit www.minneapolisdid.com or follow @MinneapolisDID on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Minneapolis Downtown Council:

Founded in 1955, and one of the oldest central business districts in the nation, the Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) is a membership-based entity that works to create, preserve, and enhance a vital and engaging experience for the people who visit, work, shop and live in Downtown Minneapolis. The MDC’s collaborative developments of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan was designed to help downtown businesses, community leaders and citizens build on downtown assets and implement future goals. For more information, please visit www.downtownmpls.com.

About the Downtown Improvement District:

Founded in early 2009, after more than five years of formative planning and advocacy by the downtown business community, the Minneapolis DID delivers higher levels of service to make downtown cleaner, greener, safer and more vibrant throughout a 120-block area, as is the case with most Business Improvement Districts. For more information, visit www.minneapolisdid.com.

###

Highlights from the Mayor's Proposed 2016 Budget

 

Via an August 26, 2015, e-newsletter from Mayor Betsy Hodges:

Dear Friend,

   Two weeks ago today, I proposed my 2016 budget to the City Council. Last year, during my first budget address, I reflected upon a quote from Vice President Joe Biden that I have used as a guiding principle for many years, “show me your budget and I’ll show you what you value.”

I followed that good advice again. We put together a budget that both reflects and harnesses our values so they guide our growth into the future.

We have entered a time when we are being asked to face and meet the changes of the 21st century. We must not only match, not only meet, but we must precede the challenges these changes create with innovation, vision, and the bone-deep knowledge that to become the city of the future we must be a city that leads and weathers the transition and is in it for the long haul.

Being a 21st-century city means we transform our work to meet the needs of the people and economy of the new century. So, I presented a budget with significant investments in public safety, affordable housing, sustainability, better basics from the city and economic growth.

And we did this all while making significant cuts, strategic budget decisions, and transformative investments which will cause the City portion of taxes to go down for two-thirds of Minneapolis homeowners.

Here are some highlights from my proposed budget:

• $13 million in investments in affordable housing largely spurred by the Mayor’s Cradle to K cabinet’s proposal to focus on housing as a strategy to ensure a healthy start for kids. This includes investments in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $1 million flexible dollars to help create affordable housing options for large families, and targeted rental assistance for families leaving shelters.
• $10 million for the City’s portion of the 10th Avenue bridge rehabilitation.
• $400,000 to accelerate Minneapolis’ conversation of City-owned streetlights to LED technology. The funding will implement approximately 900 LED fixtures which will save about $113,400 a year over their life cycle and pay for itself in three and a half years.
• Raising the sworn compliment of police officers to 862 while funding a recruit class and ongoing community service officer classes.
• Funding for 30 TechHire Initiative scholarships that will provide women and people of color with job training to meet employers growing demand for a workforce educated in technology skills.

More spending investments are listed below if you have the time to read on. You can also read my full speech here.

I cannot conclude without offering my deepest thanks to you. Thanks to your vision. Thanks to your support. Thanks to your desire, like me, to transform Minneapolis into one of the leading global cities of the 21st century.

Sincerely,
 
Mayor Betsy Hodges
City of Minneapolis

Mississippi Minute Film Festival Entries Open Until September 15th, Film Contest Judges Named

Call for additional entries to the Mississippi Minute Film Festival; entries are open online until September 15, 2015 at 5:00 PM.

“Imagination and creativity are what’s most important for your film or video entry; much more important than film-making skills. Entries are welcome at all levels; no one should be afraid to enter!” notes Kathleen Boe, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership (MRP), sponsor of the Festival.

Entries are made online, and all entry information, forms and formats are accessible at www.mississippiminute.org.

Judges for the Film Festival have also been named; they are:

• Whitney Clark, Executive Director, Friends of the Mississippi River
• Lisa Goodman, Council Member, Minneapolis City Council
• Brenda Langton, owner/founder of Spoonriver Restaurant; founder of the Mill City Farmer’s Market
• Tom Meyer, Founding Principal, Meyer, Scherer and Rockcastle, Ltd
• Dean Otto, Program Manager, Moving Image, Walker Art Center
• Blong Yang, Council Member, Minneapolis City Council

Films will be shown at MRPs Riverfront Summit, October 26th at the Mill City Museum at 6:00 PM. Film winners and awards will be announced at that time as well.

Guest speaker John Anfinson, PhD and Superintendent of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area for the National Park Service, will talk about the upcoming 100-Year Anniversary of the National Park Service.

More info at MississippiMinute.org

Week 16 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

August 22 was Pollinator Day at the Market. The UMN Bee Squad/Bee Lab and Pollinate MN were on hand to share info on their work with interested shoppers.  Regular vendors who can also answer your bee-related questions include Worker B and Ames Farm.

Below, Worker B offers an array of honeys, candles, bees wax, clothing and personal products.  You can also find them in the Northrup King Building.

The Loft Literary Center turns 40 this year and brought their party to the Market. Look for a separate post on The Loft later this week on our Farmers Market blog. 

Valspar has been a super supporter of not only the Market, but other nonprofit organizations in the neighborhood. They brought a lot of fun on Saturday with a booth featuring energetic staff, giveaways for kids and adults, face painting and shopping bags. Look for a separate post on Valspar later this week on our Farmers Market blog. 

The Zestars from Ames Farm arrived this week.

Seven Songs Organic Farm returned with their wonderful ginger.

Wild Run Salmon is back from what I hear was a wild fishing adventure.

I just had to get a picture of this mom - she struck me as the quintessential Market shopper.  Carrying both a MFMC Membership tote and market basket, wearing a pollinator T-shirt and including her son in the shopping experience.  Love it!  :)

Of course Market founder Brenda Langton shops here, too.  Below, we ran into her toting around a watermelon the size of a baby hippo for her Spoonriver restaurant. 

Every wonder what hazel nuts look like when they're growing on the plant?  Well - here you go.

The goat!

NCED's Sip of Science Series Returns September 9

Great news! National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics (NCED) will resume their monthly Sip of Science series on Wednesday, September 9, at the Aster Cafe.  :)

September Sip of Science - Ask me about my mussels! The relationship between sediment and native river mussels in Minnesota

Kelly MacGregor, Macalester College
September 9 5:30 pm
River Room, Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main Street

RSVP for Sip of Science

Native freshwater mussels are an important part of river ecosystems. Individuals can live for more than 50 years, filtering water for nutrients and stabilizing riverbed sediment in some places. However, widespread Kelly MacGregor collecting mussels during a snorkel survey. Photo credit: Macalester Collegehabitat Kelly MacGregor collecting mussels during a snorkel survey. Photo credit: Macalester Collegedestruction, pollution, land-use change and deteriorating water quality can impact mussel populations. Join us as Macalester College professor Kelly MacGregor describes a current collaborative study between Macalester College, the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, and River Life that investigates the impacts of riverbed and suspended sediment on mussel diversity, health and happiness. The most recent portion of the research involved snorkeling four rivers (the Snake River, the Chippewa River, the Cottonwood River, and Le Sueur Rivers) this past summer. Mussel shells and stories will be shared!  

Kelly MacGregor collecting mussels during a snorkel survey. Photo credit: Macalester College 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Kelly MacGregor is a professor and chair of the Geology Department at Macalester College in St. Paul. She has a B.A. in Geology from Williams College, and a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from UC Santa Cruz.  She is a geomorphologist with a focus on glacial erosion in alpine landscapes, and has done both numerical modeling of glacial erosion and field work on alpine glaciers in Alaska, British Columbia and Montana. Professor MacGregor is currently working on several projects, including environmental and climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum in Glacier National Park using lake sediments, and the dynamics of sediment transport on the St. Croix and Minnesota Rivers in Minnesota. She and her husband, also a geologist, live in St. Paul with their two kids and a motley crew of pets.

A SIP OF SCIENCE bridges the gap between science and culture in a setting that bridges the gap between brain and belly.  Food, beer, and learning are on the menu in a happy hour forum that puts science in context through storytelling.

No cover; food and drink available for purchase.

RSVP for The Encore August 26 Open House

You're invited to The Encore Open House for an opportunity to preview Penthouse and Townhome layouts, customizable finish packages, as well as learn about the ability to reserve these exclusive units. Light appetizers and drinks will be provided, along with exclusive access to The Encore development and marketing team.  The event is being held from 4:30pm – 6:30pm at The Aloft Hotel – W XYZ Bar. Please RSVP to Leasing@MPLSEncore.com, attendance is limited.

      

MPRB has a Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council Position Opening

Via an August 20 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

The MPRB is seeking to fill a vacant community position on the Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council. The Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council brings together key partners from local government, area businesses, community organizations, non-profits, and residents to build a healthy, local food system.

Learn more

Zen Box Izakaya Ramen Attack! Returns September 27

Zen Box Izakaya's popular Ramen Attack! returns to the Mill City Museum trainshed on Sunday, September 27, 1:00pm - 6:00pm.

Mill City Museum is partnering with Zen Box to celebrate the restaurant’s fourth year anniversary and benefit the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. The event includes ramen tasting featuring Zen Box Chef John Ng and world-renowned ramen chefs, beer, cooking demos by local chefs, music and Japanese cultural performances. Net proceeds from food and beverage sales will benefit the Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

CenterPoint Energy to hold an Informational Meeting August 19 at Pizza Luce

Project Status Update            Minneapolis - 4th Street

On Tuesday, September 8th, 2015, CenterPoint Energy is scheduled                             to begin a ten week long natural gas pipeline project from 2nd Avenue N.                       to Marquette Avenue S. along 4th Street in Downtown Minneapolis. For details on how CenterPoint Energy plans to coordinate this                             project, please attend our informational meeting tomorrow,                          Wednesday, August 19 at 3:00 p.m. at Pizza Luce located at                                  119 North 4th Street. Please come with questions to learn more about this upcoming project.               Refreshments will be served!

Week 15 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

August 15 was Immigrant Farmer Day at the Market.  I picked up a beautiful variety of peppers at the Minnesota Food Association/Big River Farms booth.  Big River Farms is a program of Minnesota Food Association (MFA), whose mission is to build a sustainable food system based on social, economic and environmental justice through education, training and partnerships. Currently 13 farms are enrolled in the Big River Farms training program, representing 8 different cultures.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world's forests by setting standards for responsible forest management. You can choose responsibly-grown forest products by looking for the FSC logo on wood and paper products. Visitors to their booth got to spin the wheel for a free product, and add their thoughts to the message board on what they love about forests.

Love these new salt bowls from Christy Wetzig Ceramics.

Below, rolling pins from Crookedwood - the tiger maple is my favorite.

A budding photographer - love it! :)

The first pears of the season from Ames Farm - so good!

When you need to get around the Market quickly...

Sameh Wadi of Saffron Restaurant was the guest chef for the Mill City Cooks demo. He prepared an Heirloom Tomato and Melon Salad and also signed copies of his book The New Mediterranean Table.

You might recognize Zero Waste volunteer and MCFM Board Member Kathy Klink. Kathy discussed composting with the cooking demo audience.

Fun soap shapes from Olsen Naturals.

The goat!

Start the Weekend With a DMNA-sponsored Yoga Classes at Gold Medal Park

Week 2 of Yoga at Gold Medal Park saw participation almost double, with 48 neighbors attending. Kudos to Claudia Kittock and Joan Bennett for launching this program.

As I was heading over the Farmers Market Saturday morning I crossed paths with a number of men and women carrying yoga mats and towels and I knew exactly where they heading - to the second of six free yoga classes sponsored by the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) at Gold Medal Park. Attendance doubled over the first week!

While geared towards beginners, all yogis are welcome to these weekly 8:00a Saturday sessions. Please join us next Saturday morning! Plan to arrive 5 - 10 minutes before class to sign in, meet the instructor and get settled in for an hour of "you" time.  :) 

An added bonus to this class is that there's plenty of room to spread out.  Anyone who's been in an overpacked, confined class knows how distracting and uncomfortable it is to worry about touching the person next to you.

CenterPoint Energy Project Status Update for Downtown Minneapolis

MN Limited, LLC. and Michels Corporation, two authorized CenterPoint Energy contractors, will continue installing natural gas pipeline in the following locations:

2nd Street N., from 2nd Avenue N. to 1st Avenue N.:
• Please anticipate intermittent driving lane closures along 2nd Street N. in the areas of construction.
• The parking lane is closed at the southeast corner of 2nd Avenue N. and 2nd Street N.
• The right turn lane is closed from 2nd Avenue N. to 2nd Street N.
• The right turn lane is closed from 2nd Street N. to 1st Avenue N.
• Construction is anticipated to continue through Labor Day, weather permitting.

Near the intersection of 2nd Street N. and Hennepin Avenue:
• One northbound Hennepin Avenue lane is closed at the intersection.
• The east sidewalk and bike lane along Hennepin Avenue is closed.
• Construction is anticipated to continue through Labor Day, weather permitting.

Please visit our website often to receive project updates, traffic alerts and any anticipated road or lane closures.  For further information, please contact Ashley Osteraas at 612-321-5546 or Ashley.Osteraas@centerpointenergy.com. Thank you.

Mill City Times Newsletter Archive

July 13, 2015

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July 6, 2015

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June 29, 2015

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June 22, 2015

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Be Heard: Weigh In on Downtown Parks & Public Spaces

Time is running out to participate in Pathways to Places, the public realm master plan being developed by the City of Minneapolis and the MPRB. They've created an innovative mapping tool for feedback that's actually kind of fun to use.

From Minneapolis CPED: Tell us about how you use downtown parks and public space. We want to know more about what you do and how you get around. This interactive map allows you to share ideas about a specific park or place, the path you take to get there, and how you’d improve the experience.

Please click here to share your thoughts…

Explanation:

The City of Minneapolis has launched a planning process for the development of the Downtown Public Realm Framework Plan. The Downtown Public Realm Framework Plan is a thematic plan, led by the City’s Department of Community Planning and Economic Development. It is a guiding policy document for the management of the pedestrian experience in key areas of the city, and is focused on guiding the enhancement of priority streets and urban spaces. This plan will be developed during the same time as the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) develops their Downtown Service Area Master Plan.

“A successful downtown public realm does not operate in a vacuum, and should not have boundaries congruent with publicly owned space,” said Council Member Jacob Frey. “If we expect developers and businesses to make investments that benefit the public realm (and we do), the City must be specific in vision. I am very excited to say that we are dead on track to create a framework that achieves this goal.”

The Downtown Public Realm Framework is the City’s plan to provide unified guidance to inform and coordinate the work of public and private entities that shape the public realm. The Downtown Public Realm Framework includes an inventory of existing policies, practices, and elements in the public realm. It is intended to inform and guide outcomes in capital planning, site plan review, and public/private partnership toward the coordinated enhancement of the public realm. A Public Realm Framework is a guiding policy document for the management of the Right-of-Way. The purpose of Public Realm Frameworks is the creation of a unified document for the public realm within a certain geographic area. The document will address connections, networks, assets and conditions.

“Minneapolis is on the rise. As the growth of our urban core continues, we know we need to look beyond single projects or development sites - we need to think holistically about shaping the experience of being downtown,” said City of Minneapolis Director of Long Range Planning Kjersti Monson. “If we can establish a shared vision for the public realm, and if we can ensure that every stakeholder is aware of that vision, and understands how they can to contribute to it, then we can pull together to make this the most livable downtown in America.”

The City of Minneapolis’ Downtown Public Realm Framework will run on a parallel and integrated track with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board’s process to create a Downtown Service Area Master Plan (DSAMP). The two processes will result in separate but integrally related documents, the Downtown Public Realm Framework and the DSAMP, which will jointly create the Pathways to Places initiative, for the entire network of downtown public spaces and corridors. The Downtown Public Realm Framework and the DSAMP will each be adopted by their respective elected bodies.

Please click here to share your thoughts…

Northern Lights.mn presents Alma Lights Events in August and September at Restaurant Alma

These events are brought to us by Northern Lights.mn, a roving, collaborative, interactive media-oriented arts agency from the Twin Cities for the world. It presents innovative art in the public sphere, both physical and virtual, focusing on artists creatively using technology, both old and new, to engender new relations between audience and artwork and more broadly between citizenry and their built environment.

Aaron Dysart, Alma Lights project proposal. 

Join us on Wednesday, August 19, 6:00 - 7:30pm, for an update of 12 artists' in process work on Alma Lights: Laura Bigger, Aaron Dysart, James Garrett Junior, Jess Hirsch, Ifrah Mansour, Wil Natzel, Molly Reichert + Sean Higgins, Robin Schwartzman, Piotr Szyhalski, Peter Haakon Thompson, JoAnn Verburg

Alma Lights is a temporary arts hub in partnership with Restaurant Alma that will support a range of artist installations at the Alma building (528-530 University Ave SE, Minneapolis) throughout the summer, prior to Alma’s upcoming expansion. Read more about the project, including artists' concepts, here.

Alma lights opens Wednesday, September 16th, 7-11pm with a ticketed pre-opening reception with Restaurant Alma at 5pm. Food and drink will be available for ticket holders.

Other viewing hours: Friday, September 18, 9pm – midnight; Saturday, September 20, noon – 7pm; Sunday, September 21, noon – 5pm.

Want to help out?
Want to be a part of this temporary art space? We need volunteers to help staff Alma Lights during its open viewing hours. Email ady@northern.lights.mn if you're interested.