Caption: Victory Memorial Drive at 36th Ave. N. looking south. Photo by Donna Seline.
The public had a chance to review restoration plans for Victory Memorial Drive on May 7 at Webber Park Recreation Center. The open house was held before the monthly Webber-Camden Neighborhood Organization meeting to provide area residents the opportunity to review and provide input on the proposed designs for the monuments, gateways, pathway lighting and street closures. Staff from the project's partners Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB), were available to answer questions.
The first phase includes street closures and installation of lighting to enhance the multi-use trail system. City streets slated for closure east of Osseo Road between 45th and the Parkway are Irving, James, Logan, Morgan, Oliver, Penn and Queen. The MPRB will vacate Xerxes Ave. N. A public hearing on the MPRB street closure will be held prior to board action at a date to be determined. The closure of the roads is expected to begin this summer with pedestrian lighting secheduled for design and installation in 2009 and 2010.
The plan also identifies the possibility of construction of gateway monuments at Lowry and Humboldt Avenues and a redesign of the flagpole plaza. The County has hired a consulting firm to develop conceptual designs that when completed will be presented to the MPRB for review and approval. Any improvements to the plaza and parkway will be funded by the County.
The Park Board adopted the Victory Memorial Regional Park Master Plan in 2004 after considerable public input. The plan recognizes the unique aspects of the parkway and its historic landscape character. It calls for trail reconstruction, rest stops, enhanced historic interpretation and the restoration of the World War I memorials and monuments. Street closures were identified to enhance the trail experience and safety, and to provide additional green space in the area.
In 2006 the Minnesota Legislature established a task force to develop strategies based on the master plan to restore the parkway. The task force was comprised of representatives of the Minnesota Historial Society, Minneapolis and Robbinsdale city councils, Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, MPRB, Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate, area citizens and the local veteran's organization. The lesgislature approved a $1 million state bonding appropriation as part of the capital investment bill in the 2009 session. This summer, the task force will realign the drive's historic street grid and expand its green space. The task force is developing designs for a new flagpole plaza, gateway markers at Humboldt Ave N. and Lowry Ave N., streetlights and pathway lights, restoring 568 markers for each war casualty, and strengthening the rank-and-file tree grid.
A traffic impact study was done in 2007 and 2008 by the City's traffic engineer to assemble data on both the current and proposed street configurations. The studies indicated no significant impacts to the adjacent streets or neighborhoods. The overall traffic volume within the study area falls below the average city street traffic volume.
Hennepin Couty has allocated $3.5 million for the project through 2010. Street closures are anticipated to be $800,000 and $1 million for the lighting. The City will fund installation of three fire hydrants along the Parkway between Osseo Road and Humboldt Ave. N. The new fire hydrants are funded by the county. The MPRB will service and maintain the trail lighting.The cost of improvements to the gateway and plaza have not been determined.
Victory Memorial Drive is part of the Grand Rounds and is owned and maintained by the MPRB; details are available at www.minneapolisparks.org/grandrounds/dist_VM.htm.