Minneapolis celebrates opening of new Northeast riverside park

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board unveiled the completed first phase of Graco Park on Wednesday, marking the opening of the riverfront park on property associated with a nearly decade-long legal battle between the Park Board and a neighboring manufacturer.

The 9-acre park sits just north of Plymouth Avenue N. along the east side of the Mississippi River. The land had been a lumber yard for Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., just south of the manufacturer Graco Inc.’s campus.

The new park pays homage to the lumber yard history with wooden beams along the paths and a mixture of beams used as light posts and others that are decorative. The park includes a gravel beach, though access to the water has not been opened yet; it is separated by a black linen barrier. The first phase marks completion of the new bicycle path through the park. A planned additional stretch of bike path under the Plymouth Avenue Bridge has yet to be built, and until then, bicycle riders still have to cross at the intersection of Plymouth Avenue NE. and NE. Sibley Street.

Another new feature is geo-thermal heating technology that’s been added below the pathways, intended to melt the ice in winter.

Park Board Superintendent Al Bangoura called the initial opening a “milestone” as he spoke to a small crowd at the opening ceremony.

“If we’re going to have a truly equitable park system, residents of northeast and north Minneapolis must be able to enjoy thoughtfully designed access to the Mississippi Riverfront, like residents in south and southwest enjoy the riverfront, creek and lakes in their neighborhoods,” Bangoura said.

The Park Board bought the land in 2010. In 2000, Graco granted the Park Board an easement on its adjacent property to build a trail. But when a decade went by without construction starting on the trail, Graco claimed the city had released the company from its commitment to provide the easement. Graco wanted to purchase a small portion of the property for the park, which was 11 acres in total, in exchange for the easement.

A legal settlement in 2018 granted the easement and allowed Graco to buy a 2.2 acre parcel. The agreement required the park to be named Graco Park. Sheahan said there are no plans yet for the empty 2.2-acre parcel.

Bangoura thanked to the Graco Foundation, which donated more than $3 million to the Park Board to fund the new park. After his comments, Park Board President Meg Forney and Graco CEO Mark Sheahan told the crowd they were excited about the completion, and both later said in interviews that they have no hard feelings over the legal dispute.

A year ago, after the groundbreaking ceremony, Forney said she wished the park had a different, noncorporate name. On Wednesday, she said she no problem with it and that she is grateful for Graco’s contributions to the project.

“Opening Graco Park is a monumental milestone in our ongoing, decades-long mission to transition Minneapolis’ northern riverfront to a world-class attraction that’s more welcoming to people and wildlife,” Forney said.

The first phase included completion of construction on a new park building that will open to the public sometime in 2025. The building will house a Spark’d Studios — a Park Board project that offers free media arts programming to youths.