Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Launches New Instagram Account

Follow @minneapolisparks for beautiful images captured at Minneapolis parks and recreation centers

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is kicking off the new year with a new way to follow and enjoy parks and recreation in the city of Minneapolis.

The MPRB just launched an Instagram account where it will post images depicting the activities, events and everyday beauty that make Minneapolis parks and recreation centers great.

Follow the MPRB on Instagram @minneapolisparks or check out the feed at www.instagram.com/minneapolisparks. 

Stay up-to-date on all MPRB news by subscribing to the other social media accounts linked below:

Facebook: @MinneapolisParks

Twitter: @MplsParkBoard

LinkedIn: Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board

$800,000 Grant to Help Reduce Pollution in Northeast Minneapolis

Columbia Golf Course project will protect local neighborhoods, Mississippi River

The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) announced today that it has been awarded $800,000 from the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) to address water quality and flooding issues in Northeast Minneapolis.

The funds, which come from the state’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, will be used to install a series of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) at the Columbia Golf Course in Northeast Minneapolis. The improvements will capture and treat stormwater from 600 acres that drain to and through the golf course, protecting the nearby Mississippi River from polluted runoff. In combination with other improvements planned for the area, the practices will also help to mitigate flooding.

“A large portion of Northeast Minneapolis drains through the Columbia Golf Course, and this new green infrastructure will benefit the entire community,” said MWMO Executive Director Doug Snyder. “The project will help protect the golf course and the surrounding neighborhoods from flooding, as well as reduce pollutant loading to the Mississippi River and improve habitat by adding native vegetation.”

The golf course improvements are part of a larger Northeast Stormwater Management Initiative being led jointly by the MWMO, the City of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The initiative will address local stormwater issues by modifying the city’s stormwater infrastructure, adding regional stormwater BMPs, and integrating new green infrastructure in portions of Northeast Minneapolis and Columbia Heights.

The golf course BMPs have the potential to remove an estimated average of 100 pounds of total phosphorus (TP) and 20 tons of total suspended solids (TSS) each year, keeping these pollutants out of the Mississippi River. Up to 6.7 million cubic feet of stormwater could be infiltrated.

The golf course improvements are expected to begin construction in mid-2020. More information can be found at mwmo.org/northeast, where residents can also sign up to receive email updates.

About the Minnesota Clean Water Fund

Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008 to:

• protect, enhance, and restore wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat;
• preserve arts and cultural heritage;
• support parks and trails; and
• protect, enhance, and restore lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater         

The Clean Water Fund receives 33 percent of the sales tax revenue generated by the Legacy Amendment. More information about the Clean Water Fund is available here.

January 1 Newsletter from Green Minneapolis

Via a January 1 e-newsletter from Green Minneapolis:

It is remarkable to look back on 2018 and see how much we have transformed downtown, together. 

Now in its second year, annual attendance at THE COMMONS has grown to over 600,000. Green Minneapolis hosted 103 free public events throughout the year, from our farmers market and movie series to extraordinary performances by the Minnesota Orchestra and MN Sinfonia. The Commons is knitting together the new neighborhood of East Town. It is your downtown oasis – an exciting place to connect with nature, and community.

In downtown west, Green Minneapolis anchors the public-private partnership that transformed the HENNEPIN-LYNDALE CROSSROADS, adding plantings and greenery to the busy intersection and making it more welcoming to pedestrians.

We also spearheaded the $12 million fundraising campaign to revitalize PEAVEY PLAZA. With contributions from the City, State and many private donors, the project is officially underway. The new Peavey will reopen in Summer 2019, complete with beautiful flowing fountains, a vibrant tree canopy, live music and other special events.

Through GREENING LAB, we provided supplemental watering and maintenance for hundreds of young trees downtown, supporting a crucial phase in trees’ growth cycle. Every successful tree planted helps us grow our downtown forest and transform downtown from gray to green.

Never afraid to think big, we also partnered with the University of Minnesota’s College of Design to envision how the POST OFFICE at 1st Street and Marquette Avenue could take on new life and better connect downtown to the riverfront.

These projects are just the beginning! Every time you get out and experience your downtown, you help us achieve our vision of the green and vibrant downtown Minneapolis of tomorrow.

See you there, in 2019.