For more than a year the Camden Community News has covered the process of the North Service Area Master Plan (NSAMP) for Northside parks – and now the plan has been approved. It features improvements, operations and management for 31 neighborhood parks, three regional trails, and several projects already underway!
At its meeting on February 6 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) commissioners adopted the North Service Area Master Plan. The document details a 20- to 30-year vision for all Northside neighborhood parks and three regional trails west of the Mississippi River and north of I-394.
NSAMP is the result of nearly two years of community-based engagement, planning and design with individuals, neighborhood groups and community organizations throughout North Minneapolis. “We are really pleased at how engaged Northsiders were in developing these park plans,” said Park District 2 Commissioner Kale Severson, who serves Northside constituents. “A huge part of this planning effort is ensuring that MPRB’s neighborhood parks serve the needs of the communities that surround them.”
Park master plans – and funding to support them: Collectively, NSAMP’s neighborhood park plans will guide capital investments and other park improvements – that is, replacing or constructing new play areas, wading pools/splash pads, athletic fields, skate parks and sport courts. Also featured are some amenities new to neighborhood parks, like climbing walls, bicycle tracks/all-wheel parks, orchards, community gardens and adult fitness areas.
A significant portion of the funding for these improvements comes from the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan, a long-term initiative that provides additional funding annually for capital investment and rehabilitation projects in neighborhood parks through 2036.
Current Northside park improvement projects: A number of projects got underway late last year and include priority improvements as identified in the North Service Area Master Plan and through additional project-specific community engagement. These include: Cleveland Park playground improvements; Farview Park playground improvements; Folwell Park – relocation/improvement of a small multi-use athletic field, renovation of the four existing tennis courts and playground improvements; Lovell Square Park playground improvements; and Perkins Hill Park bicycle training course/pump track
See plans for your neighborhood park or regional trail at minneapolisparks.org/park_care__improvements/park_projects/current_projects/north_service_area_master_plan/. At the site find out more about each project, how to get involved and sign up for email updates.
Every neighborhood deserves a great park. NPP20 is a historic agreement between the MPRB and the City of Minneapolis. As a long-term initiative, NPP20 helps address racial and economic equity across 160 neighborhood parks and provides a minimum of $11 million annually to maintain, repair and replace facilities. For info contact MPRB Adam Arvidson at 612-230-647 or aarvidson@minneapolisparks.org