News & Developments

North Lake Calhoun / South Lake of the Isles Charrette

The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) recently led a preliminary park design study which took a fresh look at the landscape between Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. Popular destinations in the area have led in recent years to steadily increasing congestion with accompanying safety concerns. The study is organized as a multi-day community design event, or charrette, that engages the public in envisioning the future of the area.

The MPRB has earmarked $3.7 million (2015-2016) for improvements to the Chain of Lakes Regional Park, which includes this area. The current master plan for the Chain of Lakes was completed in 1997. As happens with all master plans, the circumstances upon which the plan was based have evolved since its completion. Within the Chain of Lakes, changing circumstances are having the greatest impacts in the area between the north shore of Lake Calhoun and the south shore of Lake of the Isles, including  

• The Tin Fish becoming a popular restaurant destination
• The Midtown Greenway carrying hundreds of thousands of cyclists each year
• The Calhoun Sailing School growing to be the largest between the coasts
• Wheel Fun outgrowing their space next to the Tin Fish
• Private redevelopment bringing ever greater urban density to the park edge

Each of these factors has contributed to a new area norm, which is putting significant pressure on the safety and enjoyment of the park but also opens exciting opportunities to reimagine the landscape’s place in the life of the city.

Source of text: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board website.  To read more and view sketchs from the charrette click here.