Rebuilt pavilion at Bde Maka Ska to open with new restaurant, market, amenities

After a four-year absence, Bde Maka Ska will get a new concessions pavilion this month to once again serve as a community gathering space, bringing with it new dining experiences, art and improvements to trail safety.

The $6.5 million project features two new buildings and renovations, including a small performance stage, an all-gender indoor restroom, outdoor seating, redesigned landscaping with native trees and flowers and a rebuilt boat launch that opened in July. It opens to the public Oct. 20.

"As beloved as the original pavilion was, I believe this new building will quickly become a favorite gathering space and a Minneapolis icon," said Al Bangoura, Minneapolis Park system superintendent, in a statement.

Former concessionaire Lola on the Lake will return to Bde Maka Ska, joining with Pimento Jamaican Kitchen to open Pimento on the Lake, which will offer beach-inspired twists on Jamaican cuisine. In the south building, Pimento Market will offer curated goods, gifts and treats from local businesses owned by people of color.

"Our market will be more than just a place to shop. It's a cultural experience to foster unity and showcase the rich tapestry of talent in Minnesota," according to a statement from Tomme Beevas, founder of Pimento Jamaican Kitchen.

Before the pavilion burned down in an accidental hookah fire in 2019, the area on the lake's northeast side had been a popular gathering place for locals and visitors, said Park Board Commissioner Elizabeth Shaffer.

"I feel like it's gonna be a big family reunion when we open back up," she said.

The pavilion's look respects the original design, Shaffer said. For instance, standing tables remain lakeside for those who want a view of the water. She believes the traffic and revenue generated in the rebuilt space indirectly will help the Uptown neighborhood.

Pimento Market staying open year-round will be good for the customer demand that accompanies nearby winter activities like loppet races, she said.

"I'm excited to encourage everyone to come out and meet me at the lake," Shaffer said. "There's still time for good enjoyment with the warm weather we've been having."

The pavilion will display two naval artifacts recently returned to the Park Board: the wheel from the USS Minneapolis, a cruiser commissioned in 1894, and the bell from the USS Minnesota, a World War I-era battleship. The artifacts, thought to be missing before they were tracked down two years ago at Minnetonka High School, had been on display at the lake for decades.

The pavilion mural will be painted by artists in the We Are Still Here program, a partnership between the Native American Community Development Institute and Hennepin Theatre Trust that matches emerging Native artists with established mentors. The program is funded by the McKnight Foundation and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

The mural will feature pictures of lake recreation and running that non-Native people can relate to as well as Natives, said Angela Two Stars, arts director for All My Relations, a NACDI program. "It's a great space to help reinforce that there was a story that existed here prior to colonization," she said.

The mural is a capstone project for artists Jearica Fountain, Racquel Banaszak and Summer Cohen, who are mentored by lead artist Thomasina Topbear.

"The more visible you can make Native people, the more that narrative becomes part of our storytelling," Two Stars said.