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PLANNING PROCESSINTRODUCTION SERVICE AREA VISION PARK PLANS IMPLEMENTATION
<br />EAST OF THE RIVER PARK MASTER PLAN
<br />OPERATIONS AND
<br />MAINTENANCE
<br />The Grand Rounds is the nation’s largest urban scenic byway
<br />stretching 50 miles and circling three fourths of Minneapolis.
<br />The Grand Rounds contains a park-like road, biking and
<br />walking trails, and green open spaces. The Missing Link is
<br />between St. Anthony Parkway in Northeast Minneapolis and
<br />East River Parkway along the Mississippi River in Southeast
<br />Minneapolis.
<br />In 1883, H. W. S. Cleveland went before the newly formed
<br />Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners to propose a
<br />series of parks and connecting parkways that would surround
<br />downtown Minneapolis. William Watts Folwell, the head of
<br />a special committee formed in 1891 to study park expansion
<br />to the north and east, first dubbed the parkway system the
<br />“Grand Rounds.” As Minneapolis Superintendent of Parks,
<br />Theodore Wirth took the components of Cleveland’s plan,
<br />the suggestions of the special committee, and the work of
<br />his predecessor William M. Berry, to further the creation
<br />of the Grand Rounds. Wirth envisioned a parkway system
<br />encircling Minneapolis that would connect parks, lakes, rivers,
<br />creeks, and neighborhoods. Through the vision and hard
<br />work of Cleveland, Wirth, and countless others, the Grand
<br />Rounds now includes East River Parkway, West River Parkway,
<br />Minnehaha Parkway, the Chain of Lakes, Wirth Parkway,
<br />Victory Memorial Parkway, and St. Anthony Parkway.
<br />The Missing Link is the one uncompleted section of the Grand
<br />Rounds Parkway System. Plans for completing the Missing
<br />Link were prepared in 1910, 1918, 1930, 1939, and 2009.
<br />Early construction of the Grand Rounds followed the key
<br />scenic areas of the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Creek, and
<br />LOCATION AND HISTORY
<br />the Chain of Lakes. The presence of wetlands in the Missing
<br />Link area deterred construction. A large and profitable gravel
<br />mine located south of what is now Gross Golf Course was also
<br />an obstacle to parkway development during the 1930s and
<br />1940s. When gravel mining ceased in the 1950s, the area was
<br />developed with industrial uses. Active railroad lines and a
<br />major rail yard north of the University of Minnesota were also
<br />impediments.
<br />In the MPRB 2007 Comprehensive Plan, a major initiative is
<br />to complete the Missing Link. Completion of the parkway
<br />will fulfill the vision of having a “grand parkway” and green
<br />“necklace” encircling the city and will provide Minneapolis
<br />and adjoining communities access to parks, trails, paths, and
<br />green space.
<br />The GRML route planning process has been working in parallel
<br />with a City street improvement and protected bikeway
<br />improvement initiative along Industrial Boulevard, and as a
<br />result of this project, part of the future Grand Rounds Missing
<br />Link has been implemented during the planning process.
<br />This brings an exciting momentum to the master plan vision,
<br />and sets a precedent for how the regional trail will integrate
<br />into the existing street network, including operations and
<br />maintenance.
<br />The Industrial Boulevard trail is a result of the City of
<br />Minneapolis and Minnesota Department of Transportation
<br />(MnDOT) entering into an agreement in 2018 to construct
<br />a shared-use trail segment on MnDOT right of way along
<br />Industrial Boulevard in the City of Minneapolis, and MPRB was
<br />invited to participate in the trail improvement project.
<br />The Park Board agrees to maintain the trail segment as part of
<br />the Park Board’s Grand Rounds. The Park Board maintenance
<br />will include routine and seasonal maintenance including
<br />plowing, mowing and sweeping as needed to maintain the
<br />daily operation of the trail. As owner of the infrastructure, the
<br />City, will be responsible for maintaining the asset condition
<br />of the Trail Segment at its own discretion, including crack
<br />sealing, patching, resurfacing, and reconstruction. The Park
<br />Board will not be responsible for maintenance or operations
<br />of the pedestrian sidewalks on Industrial Blvd. Maintenance
<br />of the sidewalks on Industrial Boulevard will be performed in
<br />accordance with Minneapolis City Ordinances.
<br />There are plans to continue the trail to Broadway Street on
<br />Industrial Boulevard in 2019, contingent upon GRML master
<br />plan approval.
<br />On the southern segment of the route, in the Towerside
<br />District, MPRB has developed two Memorandums of
<br />Understanding with developers working on realizing the vision
<br />of the mixed use district. With significant park dedication fees
<br />in place and ample community support for new parkland in
<br />the emerging district, there are also immediate opportunities
<br />for implementation of the regional trail, contingent on master
<br />plan approval by MPRB and the Metropolitan Council.
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