Downtown park near U.S. Bank Stadium inches closer to $22 million fundraising goal

Above: A rendering of the proposed park in Downtown East (Hargreaves Associates)

Fundraisers are making progress toward the goal of raising $22 million for the downtown Commons park.

The conservancy running the effort announced another $3 million haul this week, bringing them within $8 million of the project's finish line.

The fundraising effort will ultimately determine how robustly the park is developed, following action this January to tie elements of the project to the amount of private money raised.

In January, fundraisers announced that they were halfway to the goal. Since then, new money has come in from corporate, foundation and individual donors.

They include, according to a news release: "Valspar, U.S. Bank, The Pohlad Family Foundation, Julia Dayton, Jay and Page Cowles, The Edward J. Phillips Family Foundation, Piper Jaffray, CenturyLink, The David Wilson and Michael Peterman Family, and Toro."

The total amount raised is now nearly $14 million.

"The campaign's steady success shows that businesses and philanthropists understand its value and transformational potential for downtown and our entire city," Mayor Betsy Hodges said in a statement.

The park is currently under construction, with a first phase expected to be completed late this summer.