On September 19, the City of Minneapolis posted updates to the street reconstruction proposal for Logan Park. You can view these updates on the project’s overview page, https://bit.ly/LoganParkRedesign. Logan Park includes a sizable portion of the Arts District. Per the City’s website, the project includes “Central Avenue and the BNSF rail line,” and it lists sections of 12th Ave. NE, 13th Ave. NE, 14th Ave. NE, Jackson St. NE, Quincy St. NE, Tyler St. NE and Van Buren St. NE.
The public engagement and design process has taken a year and a half to get to the concept stage. Typical work in the reconstruction includes new asphalt street paving, sidewalks, off-street bike lanes, landscaped medians, new trees, pedestrian bump-outs at intersections and stormwater drainage.
Public discussion surrounding the reconstruction has taken a contentious tone. Many stakeholders take the view that the proposed design work is not appropriate to the unique character of the Logan Park industrial area. At time of writing, nine articles have been published in multiple local papers, each against or highly skeptical of the Public Works Department’s plans for Quincy Street.
The Arts District board has written a declaration statement, directed towards the City Council and Mayor, calling for a restarting of the Quincy Street plans using urban planners.
The reconstruction of the streets other than Quincy Street NE has received concept layout approval from the City Council’s Climate and Infrastructure Committee. The approved drawings can be viewed on the project update website at https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/RCA/24459.
The configuration of the paved surfaces varies by work area. The plans largely reflect the City’s standard templates for street reconstruction. Street parking has been reduced on 13th and 14th Avenues. The original historic brick paving will be replaced with asphalt. Turf grass will be used in narrow medians. The work is targeted for 2026-27.
Public Works design work for Quincy Street NE is proceeding on a separate schedule due to public concern with the proposed reconstruction. Public Works has scheduled two open houses regarding the redesign of the area. On Tuesday, October 14, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., the updated concept layouts by Public Works will be shared at the Northeast Recreation Center, 1530 Johnson St. NE. The information will be shared on Wednesday, October 15 with the Logan Park Neighborhood Association. Public input will be gathered from both sessions. The open houses provide an opportunity to ask questions or share comments with the City before the Quincy Street design is finalized.