City Pages: A Bluff On The River
Is the Minneapolis Park Board considering selling a prime parcel on the Mississippi?
An article by Mike Mosedale, September 7, 2005
« As Rosemary Knutson surveys the neglected parcel of land that lies just east of her West Bank condominium, she imagines the possibilities. There could be a butterfly garden here, new trees and grasses, even a secluded picnic grounds. "This is probably the choicest piece of undeveloped real estate in the metro area," Knutson muses, a little loudly, as she strains to be heard above the steady hum from the traffic on the nearby 35W bridge.
It's not much to look at right now. Goldenrod and weeds sprout up through the gaps in a field of crumbling concrete. Beer cans, ruined bicycles, and other such detritus are scattered about. But with some effort and about $45,000 in private contributions, Knutson contends, the eight-acre plot could become a welcome addition to the Minneapolis park system. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has owned it for more than 20 years--but rumor has it the board is looking to unload it. »