Improvements planned for Boom Island and B.F. Nelson
With the initial development of B.F. Nelson Park complete, plans are underway for its continued development in conjunction with the renovation of the neighboring Boom Island Park. Located on the east side of the Mississippi River and just south of Plymouth Ave / 8th Avenue NE in northeast Minneapolis, Boom Island Park is adjacent to B.F. Nelson Park, which is located along Marshall Avenue between 3rd and 6th Avenue. Along with the newly acquired Scherer Bros property, just to the north of Boom Island, the parks are ideally situated to be an extraordinary regional attraction.
This fall, B.F. Nelson will be the site of the first phase of new development. A new parking lot, along with sidewalk and trails, will enhance the visitor’s experience of the river, as well as add to the park system’s extensive network of pedestrian and bike trails. Construction of this phase is expected to be underway this fall and completed by June, 2011. Subsequent phases of development will include rehabilitation of the existing pavilions, restoration of the plaza, improvements to the marina and canoe landing, soil corrections and earthwork, and lighting and landscaping in Boom Island Park.
Phased Development
The relocation of the Pioneers Monument into B.F. Nelson Park is expected to be completed by the end of August, 2010.
CAC
A Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) met with park staff and design consultants from December ’09 to March ’10 to discuss the future of these two parks and to collaborate on plan development. Two public hearing were held on plans for the parks in May and June, as well as a public information meeting held May 25.
Plan presented at May 25 informational meeting
Plan, April 30
Committee-approved amendments to Plan 4A
Powerpoint presentation, presented to board May 5, 2010
B.F. Nelson initial phase of development
This initial phase of site development at B.F. Nelson Park, which has now been completed, includes riverbank stabilization, earthwork and grading, construction of stormwater retention ponds, and landscaping and seeding.
Funding
A grant from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) in the amount of $775, 000 has been funding these initial improvements. In addition, the MPRB has received to date $1,037,000 in Parks and Trails Legacy funds and $1,000,000 in Metropolitan Council bonds for the renovation of Boom Island and the development of B.F. Nelson parks.
Pioneers Monument
B.F. Nelson will also be the new home of the Pioneers Monument. Currently located at the corner of 5th Ave. NE and Marshall St., the statue honors the courage and hard work of early settlers to the area. First unveiled in 1936 at Gateway Park, the statue has been moved twice. The St.Anthony West Neighborhood Organization has raised $25,000, and the City of Minneapolis Art and Public Places program contributed $50,000, to restore the monument and have it placed in the new park.
History
The MPRB acquired the BF Nelson property over 20 years ago as part of a long-range plan to develop parkland along the Mississippi River in the Central Minneapolis Riverfront area. A master plan was developed with the aid of a Citizen Advisory Committee and approved by the MPRB in 1993. The plan was reaffirmed in 1998 and 2007 after seeking additional input from the community. Lack of funding has delayed development of the property.
Negligible soil contamination from prior use was remediated in 2006. Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, Hennepin County, and the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board, this included an addition of two feet of new soil across the property.
The land for Boom Island was acquired by the MPRB in 1982. Once an island, named for the booms that separated logs floating down the river, fill consisting of demolition and construction debris bridged the gap between the island and the riverbank. The park was designed by the late Ted Wirth, grandson of former park superintendent Theodore Wirth and completed in 1988.
The B.F. Nelson property was acquired in 1987, after development of Boom Island was well underway. As funding has now been secured for both the renovation of Boom Island and the continued development of B.F. Nelson, the MPRB determined that it makes sense to look at the two parks together.
Analysis of Boom Island / B.F. Nelson by U of M students
