Park Updates - Jan 2026

LAKE HIAWATHA PARK PROJECT
The new play areas at Lake Hiawatha Park opened to the public in late November, following the installation of surfacing. In spring, a community message board will be installed, as well as additional elements for the nature play area: a sand table, sand diggers, tree trunks and log slices.

HIAWATHA LINKS UPDATE
In August, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) published three design concepts for the Hiawatha Links project, the next step in advancing the longterm plan for Hiawatha Golf Course and surrounding parkland.
Following that open house and the Hiawatha Links design team’s initial inventory and analysis, it was apparent additional cultural resource work was needed to better understand the broader historic, natural, and cultural context of the project site. The team worked in collaboration with the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to develop a process for documenting the additional cultural resource data and incorporate the findings into the schematic design.
Currently, SHPO is reviewing the additional cultural resource documentation.
Following that review, the design team will work to incorporate SHPO’s recommendations into the draft 30% schematic design. The draft 30% schematic design will then go through a SHPO Environmental Review process prior to being released for publication and public review at the third open house in spring 2026.

MPRB BUDGET INCREASING 6.11%
At their Dec. 9 Board meeting, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Board of Commissioners adopted the 2026 Budget. It provides a total budget of $160 million, including $114.4 million for the general operating fund, $17.3 million for the enterprise operating fund, $2.2 million for the special revenue fund and $26.4 million for capital project funding. It includes a 6.11 percent tax levy increase, which amounts to an approximate $22 annual increase in property taxes – approximately $1.85 per month – for owners of a median $333,400 value home. The 2026 plan, adopted last year, served as the basis for the 2026 recommended budget.
The 2026 Budget represents the second year of MPRB’s first two-year budget process. The MPRB has long relied on multiyear plans to maintain financial health. The 2026 plan, adopted last year, served as the basis for the 2026 recommended budget.
It also marks the 10th year of the NPP20. The NPP20 allocation, which is funded through city bonding, will receive an inflationary increase in 2026.