[Mpls] Friends of the River Organize
PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Christine Viken ([EMAIL PROTECTED] or 612-874-1900) FRIENDS OF THE RIVERFRONT SAY KEEP IT PUBLIC MINNEAPOLIS PARK AND RECREATION BOARD WILL HOLD A PUBLIC FORUM JULY 20 ON DELASALLE HIGH SCHOOL'S PLAN TO BUILD A STADIUM ON PUBLIC PARKLAND A new nonprofit group, Friends of the Riverfront (F.O.R.), will urge the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to keep Nicollet Island Park public at a forum July 20, 6:30 p.m. at park board headquarters, 2117 W. River Rd. This is the only opportunity for public comment before an Aug. 3 park committee vote on DeLaSalle High School's plan to build a suburban-style, 750-seat athletic complex over a city street and on public parkland, including paving adjacent riverbank land for parking. It would be at the heart of the St. Anthony Falls National Historic District and Central Riverfront Regional Park. Supporters of F.O.R. will ask the park board to preserve dedicated public open space rather than let a private institution take over two acres of parkland for which the public paid more than $1 million. Friends of the Riverfront will also deliver hand-signed petitions from more than 1,000 park visitors who oppose the stadium plan. Nicollet Island is a 46-acre island in the Mississippi River between downtown Minneapolis on the west bank and the city's birthplace on the east bank. The island neighborhood dates to the 1860s, with some of the city's oldest houses and streets (including Grove Street, over which DeLaSalle would build its football field). Nicollet Island is at the heart of the St. Anthony Falls National Historic District, which the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota called one of the state's Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties of 2005, in part due to DeLaSalle's proposed athletic complex. Formed by Central Riverfront Regional Park visitors and residents, Friends of the Riverfront advocates for public access and environmental protection on parkland along Minneapolis' riverfront. A website will be up soon; in the meantime, http://www. nicolletisland.org and http://www.mplsparkwatch.org have more information. ### Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Friends of the River Organize
PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Christine Viken ([EMAIL PROTECTED] or 612-874-1900) FRIENDS OF THE RIVERFRONT SAY KEEP IT PUBLIC MINNEAPOLIS PARK AND RECREATION BOARD WILL HOLD A PUBLIC FORUM JULY 20 ON DELASALLE HIGH SCHOOL'S PLAN TO BUILD A STADIUM ON PUBLIC PARKLAND A new nonprofit group, Friends of the Riverfront (F.O.R.), will urge the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to keep Nicollet Island Park public at a forum July 20, 6:30 p.m. at park board headquarters, 2117 W. River Rd. This is the only opportunity for public comment before an Aug. 3 park committee vote on DeLaSalle High School's plan to build a suburban-style, 750-seat athletic complex over a city street and on public parkland, including paving adjacent riverbank land for parking. It would be at the heart of the St. Anthony Falls National Historic District and Central Riverfront Regional Park. Supporters of F.O.R. will ask the park board to preserve dedicated public open space rather than let a private institution take over two acres of parkland for which the public paid more than $1 million. Friends of the Riverfront will also deliver hand-signed petitions from more than 1,000 park visitors who oppose the stadium plan. Nicollet Island is a 46-acre island in the Mississippi River between downtown Minneapolis on the west bank and the city's birthplace on the east bank. The island neighborhood dates to the 1860s, with some of the city's oldest houses and streets (including Grove Street, over which DeLaSalle would build its football field). Nicollet Island is at the heart of the St. Anthony Falls National Historic District, which the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota called one of the state's Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties of 2005, in part due to DeLaSalle's proposed athletic complex. Formed by Central Riverfront Regional Park visitors and residents, Friends of the Riverfront advocates for public access and environmental protection on parkland along Minneapolis' riverfront. A website will be up soon; in the meantime, http://www. nicolletisland.org and http://www.mplsparkwatch.org have more information. ### Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re [Mpls] Friends of the River Organize
Here's a little lesson in geography. the Bicentennial Commission put a public park on the South tip of Nicollet Island. The current Park Commissioners paved the open swale on the South Tip for the benefit of a private, profit-making enterprise. We all agreed, back when, that an open space mentality was important for the remainder of the Island so that the historic buildings would be ensconced in an inviting open space setting meant to encourage pedestrian use. The current Park Commissioners want to pave another goodly chunk of the mid-Island (bear in mind De LaSalle already has a major paved area in front of the school). And close a pubic street. And expropriate the old tile and marble site for what looks suspiciously like their exclusive use, given the remarkably vague language in the so-called shared use agreement, again a gift to private enterprise that already has a net worth of several millions of dollars and a healthy chunk of the Island's total area. Add to this the travesty of public process that others have documented relentlessly in recent weeks and ask, perhaps, What's the rush? Helpful hint: expect major personnel changes at the top of this heap - I wouldn't want the fellows who established our remarkable parks and open space legacy disturbed in their rest by these arrogant grabs for power and privilege. IMHO, a resounding vote of no confidence in November seems the best way to keep the Historic District from further erosion by the latest in a very long history of attempts to seize Nicollet Island from the public's hands. Fred Markus Ward 6, Phillips West REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
