Work finally begins on new Minneapolis park along river, following long legal dispute

Construction is underway on a new riverfront park in northeast Minneapolis that will feature tree-lined heated paths near the Mississippi River, a beach — and a name that comes courtesy of a nearby fluid-handling equipment company.

The 9-acre Graco Park, named after adjacent Graco Inc. thanks to a legal settlement, will be located just north of Plymouth Avenue on the east side of the river. Meg Forney, president of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, said the new park moves the city closer to her goal of continuous parklands along the river extending to the northern border of the city — even if she wishes it had a different, non-corporate name.

"I don't think we have any other option. ... It is what it is," Forney said of the 2018 deal between the park board and Graco, which followed a nearly decade-long legal dispute over easements for a path along the river. "If we had not settled with them on it, we wouldn't have gotten that land, nor the trail that goes north of the parcel."

In a statement, Graco focused on future benefits of the park to the community, and did not respond to questions about the park's name.

"This small slice of the riverfront could have a big impact on inspiring what's to come along the Minneapolis riverscape," the company's statement read. "Because of this, we are focused on continuing the positive momentum fueling this space — and are eager to enjoy the new park with the entire community."

The land was previously used as a lumber yard for Scherer Bros Lumber Co., and was purchased by the Park Board in 2010. In 2000, Graco agreed to grant the Park Board an easement on its adjacent property for a trail in exchange for the city's help to redevelop the company's campus.

But after a decade without construction starting on the trail, Graco representatives claimed the city had released the company from its commitment to provide the easement. The company held off on providing the easement, saying in exchange it wanted to purchase a small portion of the property for the park, which was 11 acres in total.

The 2018 settlement granted the easement and allowed Graco to purchase a 2.2 acre parcel.

The company and its charitable foundation also agreed to give roughly $5 million to fund the new park, with the requirement it be named "Graco Park." The Park Board said at the time that meant building the park up to a decade sooner than was otherwise possible.

Forney said she tried to pitch other park names.

"They didn't bite on the names, they only wanted an advertisement," Forney said.

One idea was to name it after the historic Red River Ox Cart Trails, a trade route that went through the property in the 1800s. Forney thought the name could allow the park to feature signage with history of the trail and the history of Graco, which started as a manufacturer of lubrication devices in the 1920s.

Park features

Forney said her goal of having continuous parklands along the river is an incremental process.

"I refer to it as a 'crazy quilt,' with a parcel here and another there," Forney said.

Prior to construction, the park was an empty field, with a paved path cutting across diagonally for cyclers and pedestrians after crossing Plymouth Avenue.

The park is expected to open in fall 2024. A main park building and a trail underpass going underneath Plymouth Avenue to Boom Island Park are expected to open in fall 2025, according to the board's press release.

The total construction cost was $7 million, a Park Board spokesperson said. Funding included a grant of just under $2.6 million from the Metropolitan Council for the underpass. The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization contributed a $480,000 grant.

That underpass will let cyclists and walkers stay along the riverbank instead of having to cut inland and cross the busy street.

Other highlights include riverfront beach access, a heated sidewalk, a snowmelt system for the plaza, public restrooms and gathering spaces.

"I bike through here every day, so having whatever is going on here will be super nice," said Grayson Ricketts, a 28-year-old Minneapolis resident who was bicycling past the site.

Laura Wiering, a North Loop resident who typically crosses the bridge instead of going north on her walks, said she thinks having a developed park would make her feel safer about the area.

"It feels remote, and I think it would be great to extend the recreation further," Wiering said. But she's not sure about that name.

"If someone told me it was called 'Graco Park,' I'd probably be like, 'That sounds corporate,'" Wiering said. "I would have probably recommended a more creative name."