COVID-19 Message

Dear neighbors,

We are wishing you well and hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.  This is an unprecedented experience with much uncertainty.  However, one thing is certain: the Elliot Park neighborhood is resilient!  During this unusual time of isolation, we need to be especially neighborly.  Now is the time to check on your neighbors, even if you have never personally met.  Drop a note, send an email, offer assistance if you are able, and be there for one another.  Together, we will get through this.

Our work at EPNI relies on in-person community gatherings.  In response to COVID-19, we have cancelled most community meetings and events for the months of March & April.  On April 16th, we will be trying out a virtual Building, Land Use, and Housing conversation (no action items) - stay tuned for details.  We have also made the tough decision to postpone the 2020 Annual Meeting and Board Elections to September 14th.  In April, we will reassess the situation and determine a timeline for returning to a regular meeting schedule.

During this challenging time, please utilize EPNI as a resource for local updates, resources, and connection to the community.  In an effort to stay connected, we:

• Created a Facebook Group for the Elliot Park community - use this space to ask for help, offer help, share information, and keep in touch
• Created an EPNI COVID-19 Resources Page for local updates and resources
• Continue to take your phone calls and emails.  You can reach our office at info@elliotpark.org or by phone 612-335-5846 (messages are checked daily).

Be well, stay in touch, and reach out to your neighbors.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Haight           &        Kim Forbes
Executive Director                 Board President

• Segue Coffee: curbside coffee orders and custom t-shirts coming soon
• FINNEGANS Brew Co.: growler orders 
• Tavola Italian Kitchen: curbside take out orders
• Gamut Gallery: online shop open, free shipping for local orders
• Kristi Abbott Collage: online shop open
• Elliot Park Grocery: open
• East Village Market: open  

Elliot Park Field Lighting Update

Exciting news! The new field lights at Elliot Park are currently being installed.  Additional pedestrian lighting will be installed in the coming weeks as well.

This project was made possible with Park Dedication Fees, funds made available through a fee on new development and that must be spent in the neighborhood where the development is happening.

Someday soon we will get together for a game on the turf!

Larking Construction Update

The new Wells Fargo branch at Portland Avenue & 8th Street is now open for business.

Kraus Anderson (KA) Construction is resuming construction for Phase 2 of The Larking project, located on the south side 8th Street between Portland Ave and Park Ave. Recent and upcoming activities include: predrill for sheet pile (start 3/26), demo of existing Wells Fargo Bank (start 3/30) and sheet pile install (start 4/1 for approximately 4 weeks). No weekend work associated with pile installation is currently planned. The schedule is tentative and as things get going, KA will be providing progress updates. 

After hearing from several residents concerned about the disturbance and the workers' safety, EPNI inquired with KA and local elected officials about a possible delay in pile driving. We have been informed that work will continue as planned as construction workers are designated essential during the Shelter in Place order from Governor Walz.

EPNI will be uploading updates to our public Wells Fargo development updates folder (visit https://www.elliotpark.org/influence_development and scroll down to the Wells Fargo Redevelopment).

If you have questions or concerns about the project, you can direct them to:

Chris Mckane
Project Manager
Kraus Anderson Construction
612.335.2756

Commons Update

On April 1, 2020, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will officially assume operations at The Commons, the 4.2-acre park in downtown Minneapolis at 4th Street South and Portland Avenue. Green Minneapolis, a non-profit conservancy, has operated The Commons through an agreement with MPRB since May 2019, and before that with the City of Minneapolis. 

Park operations include ongoing maintenance such as lawn and garden care and trash removal, security, and public programming. The change in operations results from a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling on January 20, 2020, which upheld a 2019 Hennepin County ruling that prohibits the City from operating and managing a park.

Public Impacts at The Commons as of April 1

Hours: The Commons will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight, per Ordinance PB-2-33 for MPRB parks in developed areas.

Security: The Minneapolis Park Police Department will patrol at The Commons from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. as part of its operations at all MPRB parks in the downtown area. Between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m., the Minneapolis Police Department will deploy officers as requested through 911.

Programming and activities: MPRB will share plans at a later date.

Green Minneapolis will continue its management and operations at Peavey Plaza and other downtown sites, along with its stewardship of street trees downtown.

With questions or comments, please contact:
Green Minneapolis - info@greenminneapolis.org
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board - info@minneapolisparks.org

West River Parkway Partially Closed

Sections of West River Parkway and Main Street SE are closed to allow more space for trail users to follow social distancing practices to limit the spread of COVID-19. Read more: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/news/2020/03/26/minneapolis-park-and-recreation-board-announces-riverfront-parkway-and-road-closures-to-help-trail-users-maintain-social-distancing/

Thank you to our sponsors!