Mpls Downtown Improvement District

Minneapolis won't get the greener, more attractive downtown that boosters want until the public and private sectors work together, agree on a plan and figure out how to maintain those spaces.

That was the consensus Tuesday among a panel of advocates for creating vibrant public spaces downtown. They hope to jump-start a transition from a downtown with seasonal greenery to one that's more ingrained with pleasing public spaces.

The discussion at the Minneapolis Club was part of an effort by the Downtown Improvement District and Urban Land Institute to create a downtown that draws workers and shoppers.

William McGuire, who supplied the money for Gold Medal Park, said downtown suffers from too many uncoordinated park efforts ranging from the riverfront to renewing the Sculpture Garden. He said a downtown area needs to be defined. He added that multiple parties now acting independently need to reach an overarching agreement before downtown will make real progress toward the goal of having better public spaces.

David Wilson, Accenture's managing director in Minneapolis, said that creating a more inviting downtown would help keep companies such as Accenture competitive for workers in a national job market.

He chairs the downtown district's greening committee, which has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on seasonal flowers and other greenery. But advocates like Wilson want to expand their efforts into creating more spaces that make downtown seem more comfortable and less hard-edged.

The panel shared ideas as the Downtown Council is working to develop by July a plan that outlines how it wants downtown to develop by 2025 in a variety of areas, including creating more of a public realm.

A key to making those improvements last is to plan who will maintain them, Wilson said. City Council Member Lisa Goodman, who represents downtown, said she welcomes more of a private role in downtown public space improvements, such as the plans for Peavey Plaza.

Goodman said the city can't afford to maintain all of its spaces. She said she'd love to see smaller efforts by downtown residents to improve their surroundings, such as creating green oases on the balconies of high-rise residences to soften them