Update on Mall Park

East Isles Neighborhood Association (EINA) president, Mike Erlandson, and vice president, Ellen Van Iwaarden, testified before the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on March 20 to express the neighborhood's strong concerns about planned changes to The Mall Park this summer. The changes are scheduled to take place when the Met Council digs up a section of The Mall to complete stormwater sewer work that has been taking place in the neighborhood the past few summers.

Neighbors and EINA have been working to prevent changes that would result in two blocks of the westbound parkway being closed and returned to turf. This is part of the Park's Master Plan. The concerns stem from the public safety impacts that could result from this road closure as well negative impact on traffic flow in the community (no traffic impact study has taken place). EINA is a strong supporter of the park system and open space, the limited new space that would be created, in an area that has significant green space, by this change is not activable for a larger public good.

Finally, EINA believes it is not a good use of public funds to create a traffic calming woonerf on The Mall, an area with limited traffic, and again, as noted, without a traffic study. EINA hopes that proposed changes to The Mall Park as called out in the Master Plan will receive additional review before implementation. 

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