Bde Maka Ska Sailing Center plan back to original location

A plan to move the Minneapolis Sailing Center to the northwest corner of Bde Maka Ska is unlikely after a presentation to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s planning committee revealed the land will be difficult to build on.

“The northwest corner, which we knew pretty well going in, has very difficult soils for construction,” Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Design Project Manager Daniel Elias said at the board’s March 18 meeting.

The Minneapolis Sailing Center offers classes and camps for people of all sailing abilities, with a mission to “build an inclusive and sustainable community and teach sailing to all.”

The existing Sailing Center at the northeast corner of Bde Maka Ska has no indoor programming space, storm shelter, or administration space to operate from.

The Park Board approved a Bde Maka-Ska-Harriet long-range plan in 2017 that sought to relocate the Sailing Center to the northwest corner of Bde Maka Ska.

To work around the soil, a realignment of Bde Maka Ska Parkway would cost the Sailing Center $5 million and the Park and Recreation Board $10 million, which both the board and Sailing Center agreed was too cost-prohibitive to explore.

The Sailing Center is proposing to stay in the northeast corner and adding needed amenities there.
No votes were taken on future Sailing Center plans; the full board will vote on an amended plan in the future.