The State of the Parks
SLIP SLIDING AWAY
Here's an update on what's happening to our public parks. Chunks of our parks and parklands are being sold off or rented away. The concept of public parks is being eroded. Here are some examples:
GASWORKS BLUFF: Residents in Cedar-Riverside have been working on a plan to convert Gasworks Bluff on the West Bank into a park. The Park Board staff has, according to residents, been uncooperative. There are rumors that the Park Board is preparing to sell off all or part of the eight-acre site to developers, claiming that the site is too polluted for a park. Such a sale would be a loss to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood as well as to the city.
NICOLLET ISLAND PAVILLION: Then there's the Nicollet Island Pavillion. It is now a privately leased commercial enterprise, an event center that only deep pockets can afford to use. Not only is the Pavillion off limits to the non-paying public, but the adjacent parking lot is posted with signs that warn the public that they will be towed.
NICOLET ISLAND AMPHITHEATER: Because the Nicollet Island Pavillion's parking lot is no longer available to the public, the Nicollet Island Amphitheater is no longer used for public concerts. It has become obsolete--another loss.
THE WASHBURN TOT LOT AT 58TH AND WASHBURN: This pocket-park is the target of a new rumor that's been circulating. According to this rumor, the park is destined for the chopping block.
THE DELASALLE STADIUM PROJECT: Now here's an interesting example of the majority coalition's willingness to reduce our Park Board inventory. DeLaSalle and the Park Board want to close off historic Grove Street, give DeLaSalle the land under the tennis courts and seal the deal with a legal vehicle called a reciprocal use agreement. This clear-as-mud deal certainly looks like a receipe for another Park Board disaster.
THE STONE ARCH BRIDGE: And now the Park Board is deciding whether to commercialize the Stone Arch Bridge. It is considering a staff proposal to rent it out to those who can afford to pay to use it. A tentative figure of $1,000 per event has been suggested.
A NEW NAME FOR THE PARK BOARD? Here is a concluding thought. Maybe it's time to consider giving the MPRB a new name. Maybe the name should be shortened to reflect this trend to reduce public space for public use. Maybe a fitting new name would be the Minneapolis Parks Wreckreation Board.