February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 13
Minneapolis' Graco Park Opens Amidst New
Era of Riverfront Park Development
New nine-acre park helps restore ecological balance and provide recreational
opportunities
By Ben Johnson
T
he Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) opened
Graco Park along the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis
during fall 2024. The park is the latest milestone amidst a prolific
run of riverfront park development in Minneapolis, which
was first envisioned more than 20 years ago.
The new nine-acre park includes
a restored island that was lost to industrial
expansion in the 1960s, new
trails and walkways, a river landing,
public art, and gathering spaces surrounded
by hundreds of new trees
and native plants. Future phases
include a new park building and a
trail connection under Plymouth
Avenue Bridge, which serves as the
park's southern border.
Plans for redeveloping the former
lumberyard have been in the
works since 2000, when the Above
the Falls Plan was first created. It
outlines a vision for redeveloping
Minneapolis'
industrial northern
riverfront into a string of parks
connected by a contiguous trail.
" This is something that we've advocated
for and worked on for decades,
and now these parks are no
longer just ideas, plans or illustrations;
they're real. We're in the middle
of a golden era of riverfront park
development in Minneapolis, " says
MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura.
Two other new riverfront parks
- Water Works and the 26th Avenue
North Overlook - opened
in 2021. Early in 2024, the MPRB
broke ground on a new 20-acre
park at the Upper Harbor redevelopment
and a new trail connection
between the 26th Avenue North
Overlook and Ole Olson Park.
The land for Graco Park served
the logging industry for more than
100 years. The MPRB purchased it
in 2010 and methodically removed
industrial infrastructure and polluted
soil from the site, leaving it as a
large open field.
In 2016, the MPRB installed a
section of regional riverfront trail
through the site and past Graco Inc.,
a global manufacturer headquartered
next to the site. A complicated legal
dispute arose from the construction
of the trail, but fortunately the
MPRB and Graco reached a series
of agreements in 2018 that settled
the dispute and provided funding to
build Graco Park.
Graco Park Features
The first phase of Graco Park, now
open to the public, includes:
* New public art that pay homage
to the site's logging history
* A gravel river landing
* A segment of a regional bike trail
* An expansive river promenade
walkway with room to host events
* An outdoor stage with a sloped,
grassy seating area
* Picnic tables and other permanent
outdoor furniture
Minneapolis' Graco Park features
a restored island, new trails and
walkways, a river landing, public art,
and gathering spaces.
* Improved stormwater management
* Habitat-rich plantings to support
the Mississippi Flyway, including
255 trees and an expansive
Bee Lawn
River Hub at Graco Park
A new 4,000-square-foot park building
opening in 2025 will be a central
hub for people to enjoy the Mississippi
River, with opportunities for
environmental education, youth
employment, trail connections, and
performances and events supporting
the local arts community.
The building
is
considered
a
" Net Zero Energy " building, which
means it consumes only as much
power as can be generated onsite
by clean, renewable resources. This
is accomplished through rooftop
solar panels, a geothermal energy
system and an ultra-efficient building
design.
Ben Johnson is Communications Representative at
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (bjohnson@
minneapolisparks.org).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | FEBR U AR Y 2 0 2 5 | Parks & Recreation
13
PHOTO COURTESY OF MINNEAPOLIS PARK AND RECREATION BOARD
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2025 – Parks & Recreation
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Intro
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover1
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover2
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 1
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 2
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 3
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 4
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 5
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 6
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 7
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 8
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 9
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 10
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 11
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 12
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 13
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 14
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 15
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 16
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 17
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 18
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 19
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 20
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 21
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 22
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 23
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 24
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 25
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 26
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 27
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 28
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 29
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 30
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 31
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 32
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 33
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 34
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 35
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 36
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 37
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 38
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 39
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 40
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 41
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 42
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 43
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 44
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 45
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 46
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 47
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 48
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 49
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 50
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 51
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 52
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 53
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 54
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 55
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 56
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover3
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2025
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2025
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
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