on Jun 27, 2012

Great River Passage Parks Master Plan Approved

 

The St. Paul Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously passed the Great River Passage master plan on June 28, 2012. HR&A prepared the management, funding, and implementation strategy portion of the plan, which was developed by Wenk Associates. The central recommendation of the plan is to unify 17 miles of parkland along the Mississippi Riverfront (an area totaling 3,500 acres) to create a more connected, more natural, and more urban park. The plan also suggests creating an “urban promenade” along portions of the downtown riverfront, offering additional tourism and river-oriented recreation opportunities.

 

When implemented, Great River Passage will remake the Mississippi Riverfront as a world class amenity for St. Paul’s residents, workers, and visitors, and will transform the city as a whole by sparking economic development in downtown and in surrounding residential neighborhoods. It will be managed by a new division of the Parks Department, implementing one of the key outcomes of HR&A’s work on the project.

 

The City and County will review the master plan in the next stages of the approval process, expected to conclude in December 2012. The full master plan is available here.