Parks+Public Art Committee
Parks+Public Art Committee
The Parks + Public Art Committee (P+P) is dedicated to the planning, design, development, and care of North Loop public spaces. Through a community-centered approach, the committee works closely with city and local partners to connect the North Loop neighborhood residents and businesses to current and upcoming public space developments through discussion, engagement, and volunteerism.
Meeting Time & Place
2nd Wednesday of the month
Itasca Event Gallery
706 North 1st Street
Minneapolis 55401
6:00 – 7:30 pm
All meetings are open to the public. Typically, no meeting in December.
P+PA Committee Members
*David Crary (co-chair)
Jan Elftmann
*Gwen Hollins
*Andrew Morse (co-chair)
*Louis Raymond
* Current board member
Agendas
Minutes
Parks+Public Art Highlights
The most visible initiative for P+P is the restoration of riverfront paths, officially known as James Rice Park. As recently as six years ago, the river wasn’t visible from the paved walking paths, and the gravel paths closer to the river were overgrown.
In 2019, David Crary, a North Loop resident and park lover, asked the NLNA to support cleanup and restoration efforts, telling the NLNA Board that “the park just needs a little love.”
Since then, hundreds of volunteers have shown the area a lot of love, putting in thousands of hours to clear invasive species, plant new trees and native plants, pull weeds, build log paths add mulch in the spring and tulip bulbs in the fall. Thanks to these volunteers, we enjoy beautiful river views throughout the year. Behind the scenes the P+P Committee partners with the Minneapolis Park Board and Friends of the Mississippi to keep the momentum going for this scenic amenity in our neighborhood.
This video from 2024 celebrates the hard work that went into the transformation.
Today, David Crary is vice president of the NLNA Board and co-chair of the P+P Committee. Along with fellow NNLA board member and committee co-chair Andrew Morse, they continue to work with the Minneapolis Park Board and Friends of the Mississippi to develop a Master Plan for the area to keep it healthy and growing.
Much of the work at the park takes place on Service Saturdays, held at 10am on the second Saturday of the month, May through October. If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, please join us!
2026 Priorities
North Loop Park: Work will begin in the Spring of 2027 to continue to work with the Park Board on more enhancements to this green space, including more trees, grasses, pollinator plants and even a small stage.
This story from 2024 details some of the possibilities, including smart technology features.
And this story from September of 2026 gives an update on construction.
Dog Park: NLNA volunteers are working with the Minneapolis Park Board to transform the space under the viaduct at N. 3rd St. and 7th Ave. N into a dog park for the many dogs of North Loop to play and socialize. For a look at the plans, please go to this story.
It’s complicated, because the land is owned by MN DOT but leased by the City, and control of the space needs to be transferred to the Park Board.
As of the fall of 2026, the Park Board and MN DOT are working out the details of what will be a 20-year lease.