Could 600 Main soon become Stone Arch Park?
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board begins exploring ideas to keep a key site public open space.
A potential Stone Arch Park would preserve the land around the terminus of the Stone Arch Bridge, seen in this photo.
photo: Michael Hicks
As the Minneapolis City Council considers zoning for potential development adjacent to the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, FMR is also making a parallel efforts toward the potential purchase of the property by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
Such a purchase would be in line with the direction established by the City. City plans call for "the public acquisition of the triangular piece of land owned by Lupe Development at 6th Avenue and Main Street." The plans continue, "[t]his should be a public transition space from the activity node at 6th Avenue and the Stone Arch Bridge to the bike trail to Dinkytown and the U of M campus."
On July 15th, the Friends of the Mississippi presented the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board with finance options to encourage the Board to take a proactive approach to the possibility of acquiring the property. Those options are summarized in an FMR Pamphlet on Stone Arch Park.
Commissioner Walt Dziedzic explored paths toward acquisition during the meeting. "That's the way to solve the whole problem," said Dziedzic, in whose district the property lies.
Brian Rice, Park Board Counsel, told the Commissioners that up to $1.7 million is available from the Metropolitan Councils Park Acquisition Opportunity Fund, which could be matched by proceeds from the Park Boards I-35W Mitigation Parkland Acquisition Fund.
"That's it...let's do it," Commissioner Annie Young noted.
The Board also discussed the potential of folding a funding request for the parkland into a legislative request next year for improvements to Father Hennepin Bluffs Park across the street, along with the potential expansion of the Main Street Parkway to the terminus of East River Road farther downriver.