East of Hiawatha Avenue Greenspace
The MNDOT owned land east of Hiawatha poses a opportunity to bind the middle and eastern Greenway trail segments together with a wonderful public open space that will serve trail goers, nearby businesses, residents of anticipated transit orientated developments in the area, and the surrounding neighborhoods of Greater Longfellow and Seward. In gathering input, both neighborhoods where approached along with Little Earth for United Tribes. The Midtown Greenway Phase III (Hiawatha Ave. to the River) landscape plan was also reviewed. As a result of this input, intern Jeff Liljegren created a medicine-wheel-inspired design that makes reference to the nearby indigenous cultures and provides a large venue public space that can be enjoyed and shared by all passers by.
The Hiawatha trail has provided a trade route for many years in this region with its genesis established by the area’s indigenous cultures. The route from St. Anthony Falls to Minnehaha Creek, where trade took place regularly, continues today as an important local transit and bike route for many inhabitants of the surrounding neighborhoods. The concept of a medicine wheel infuses the space with meaning, order and activity. |
