Parks plan bringing changes to neighborhoods

In the coming years, you’ll see fewer tennis courts and baseball diamonds in Minneapolis parks, and more multi-sports courts and multi-use fields.

There will be fewer wading pools and more hybrid aquatic facilities.

There won’t be as many manufactured playgrounds, but there will be more natural play areas and interactive water features.

It’s part of a movement to diversify parks to fit the desires of neighborhood residents.

When the parks in Minneapolis were first developed, the same components were included in each park: playground, wading pool, ballfields, and recreation centers.

Today’s 20-year vision for the parks is one where each park is individualized, according to Minneapolis Parks and Recreation (MPRB) Director of Strategic Planning Adam Arvidson.

The focus is on local need and not area-wide equity. In fashioning the South Service Area Master Plan, MPRB recognizes that every amenity cannot be in every park, and it is looking to the local community as the basis for park designs.

The South Service area is south of downtown and east of I-35. It includes 33 park properties.

The project guiding principals include the protection and enhancement of the natural environment, connections between parks, and designs that streamline operations and maintenance pointed out Arvidson.

In fashioning the South Service Area plan, they began by asking: What are the current uses and where do these occur? They also sought to figure out which areas are used heavily and which are underutilized.

“Our development of these concepts didn’t happen in a vacuum,” stated Arvidson.

MPRB planners interviewed recreation center staff, analyzed ActiveNet data, and talked to community members.

A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) was appointed and held its seventh meeting on Nov. 19 to review two sets of options.

Community input wanted

CAC member and Longfellow resident Jane Tigan stated, “I think it looks like a well thought-out master plan, but it will have to pass muster with the community.”

Four community open houses are planned:

—Upper: Mon., Nov. 30, East Phillips Recreation Center, 6-8pm

—Central: Thur., Dec. 3, Powderhorn Recreation Center, 6-8pm

—Lower: Tue., Dec. 8, Pearl Recreation Center, 6-8pm

—East: Tue., Dec. 15, Longfellow Recreation Center, 6-8pm

Arvidson pointed out that while each open house has a focus area, the plans for all the parks in the South Service area will be available for comments at each meeting.

“Ultimately this will only be as good as the community engagement that is done,” remarked Tigan.

After these open houses, the parks department plans to spend January reviewing comments. A preferred concept will be presented to the Community Advisory Committee in January or February. Then it will have a 45-day public comment period before it goes before the Park Board of Commissioners for approval.

New concepts have not been proposed for Bossen Field or the Nokomis and Hiawatha Regional Park as they have recently developed master plans that will be incorporated into the South Service Area plan.

Concepts have not been developed for Currie Park or Cedar Avenue Field as MPRB doesn’t think it has garnered enough community input in these neighborhoods.

What’s changing?

The plan replaces 20 baseball diamonds with multi-use fields where residents can play soccer, football, lacrosse, and more. The existing arrangement with four baseball diamonds places them so close together that four games can’t be played at the same time. Instead, the proposal is to have two baseball diamonds and two multi-use fields in the same space the former four baseball fields occupied, such as at Morris Park.

Some tennis courts are being replaced with multi-sports courts that have striping for tennis, pickleball, volleyball, kato and bicycle polo. This is being proposed at Hiawatha Park.

Basketball courts are being added at places like Longfellow and Morris parks.

A sports dome with year-round use is proposed for East Phillips Park.

An aquatic center is also in the works for the Phillips neighborhood, and will be the only indoor pool in the South Service area due to the high cost of implementation and operation. Beaches will remain at Lake Nokomis.

MPRB seeks to transition from a wading pool-dominated system to a mix of wading pools, splash pads, and hybrid facilities to cater to a broader age range. The only park with a possible pool removal is Keewaydin.

Currently, the city offers traditionally manufactured play structures, but the goal is to diversify this to include adventure and natural play. Of note is the plan to include both adventure play and natural play at Keewaydin, and natural play at the Seven Oaks Oval. The initial plan is to decrease the playground space at Longfellow and add a natural play area there. Natural play areas use natural materials and trees while an adventure play area might have climbing walls, small-scale ziplines, and large climbing walls.

A playground will be added at Shoreview and 54th St. E.

Adult fitness areas that may include outdoor fitness equipment and climbing structures is proposed for Longfellow.

Within the plan is the goal of adding a walking loop with seating in most parks, increasing the total number from 5 to 10 or 12.

There is an effort to increase winter recreation, particularly in the northern portion of the service area. A year-round skating rink is being proposed for Corcoran Park.

A skate park is proposed for Todd Park, a pizza oven for Phelps, and additional fishing piers for Diamond Lake and Powderhorn Lake. There is currently space for archery at Solomon Park, but the goal is to add an archery walk. Disc golf is also slated for Solomon.

Urban agriculture sites will also be created, and food-bearing vegetation included in most parks. This includes the renewal of Adams Triangle as an urban agriculture site with a group shelter, rather than as a boulevard as it is now.

“It will be great to see that particular space cultivated a little more than currently,” said Tigan.

Urban agriculture is also being proposed at Hiawatha Park, which is adjacent to Hiawatha School.

This is being done in conjunction with MPRB’s Urban Agriculture Activity Plan that was adopted in August 2014.

Learn more online at www.minneapolisparks.org.