Grand Rounds Missing Link: Minneapolis releases proposed designs

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A rendering of the proposed "Minneapolis Grand Rounds Missing Link" was released by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.  (Supplied)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - City officials released the latest concepts for the proposed Minneapolis Grand Rounds Missing Link corridor that would connect the country's longest continuous system of public urban parkways. 

What is Grand Rounds? 

Local perspective:

The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway System, which was nominated to be included on the National Register of Historic Places, connects lakes, parks and other natural features around most of Minneapolis. 

It is the longest continuous system of public urban parkways in the United States, according to the Federal Highway Administration. 

The Minneapolis Parks website shows Grand Rounds includes 51 miles of walking trails and 51 miles of biking trails. 

What is the city proposing? 

What they're saying:

The latest design hopes to bridge a gap in northeast and southeast Minneapolis, which officials are calling the "Missing Link", that has been present for more than 140 years.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) shared the newly-proposed concepts, which include focusing on the development of a regional trail that would connect the city of St. Anthony Village as well as the Mid-City Industrial, Como and Prospect Park neighborhoods. 

That trail route is based on a regional trail plan that was adopted in 2019 by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Met Council. Click here to view that plan. 

READ MORE: I-35W project revives hope to link Grand Rounds Scenic Byway

City officials are also proposing a future study on "Granary Crossing", which would be a bridge that crosses over the major rail yards in southeast Minneapolis, connecting the Como and Prospect Park segments of the Grand Rounds Missing Link. 

Photos of the proposed concepts of the corridor can be seen below:

How will it be funded?

By the numbers:

The 2023 state infrastructure bill set aside $5.5 million for the Grand Rounds Missing Link project.

That same year, the MPRB amended the Code of Ordinances to "prioritize funding for ‘Regional Opportunity Facilities’ in the regional park budgeting process, beginning in 2024", according to a news release from the department. 

What's next:

An MPRB open house, where the design concepts will be presented in-person, is set to happen sometime this winter. An exact date and place has not yet been set. 

Officials say they will gather public feedback over the next month before presenting that feedback and the concepts to the MPRB Commissioners this spring. 

Dig deeper:

More information can be found by visiting the project website. 

Maps of the proposed project can be viewed here.