Upgraded Northside paths include a new skyline view
Sarah Roth takes a picture of her daughter on a new deck overlooking the Mississippi River. Photo by Melody Hoffmann
By Melody Hoffmann, Reporter
Ole Olson Park is now home to a deck with chairs and oversized swings, right on the Mississippi River. But it’s the view of the downtown skyline that makes the deck a standout feature.
“It’s a special space,” Sarah Roth said. She would know. She got engaged in this very spot, long before a platform was envisioned. Her now husband, Eric Roth, worked on restoring the area’s natural habitat in an earlier phase of the project.
The park’s upgrade is part of a larger project that connects two trails. A 1,000- foot trail connection will now connect 26th Avenue North Overlook to the downtown riverfront and the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. It also connects to the off-street trail on 26th Avenue North, which runs between the Mississippi River and Theodore Wirth Regional Park.
The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization restored the natural habitat along the river. The restoration included removing contaminated soil from previous industrial work in the area.
“We know how to create new landscapes; we know how to clean the river. We know how to create paths. We have engineers and designers who know how to do that,” Executive Director of Mississippi Watershed Management Organization Kevin Reich said. “But to create the public-private partnerships, that’s the hard work.”
A ribbon cutting on June 2 included Reich, State Rep. Fue Lee (59A), Minneapolis Park and Recreation Superintendent Al Bangoura, Board President Tom Olson, and District 2 Commissioner Charles Rucker.
Bills for State and local funding dating back 10 years helped connect West River Parkway to 26th Avenue, including the 26th Avenue Overlook constructed in 2021.
A pedestrian bridge between North and Northeast Minneapolis in the same area has also been studied by the Park and Recreation Board. Lee said he will “not stop dreaming” until the bridge is complete.
“I'm committed to this work, and I'm so excited for what the future has in store for North Minneapolis and for our park system,” Lee said.
The quiet dead-end street where the new Ole Olson Park platform can be accessed by vehicles and is now getting a lot of use, at all hours, which is quite a change for nearby residents.
Riverview Townhomes residents have been voicing concerns over late-night get-togethers at Ole Olson Park with Bangoura, and residents confronted him after the ribbon-cutting.
“We understand that there's a concern here. We are going to respond to it. We are going to work together,” Bangoura said to residents, as he explained the boundaries of Park Police enforcement.
When the group of residents complained of erratic driving and loitering on the streets, Bangura responded, “I apologize; the street is not our street. Understand that the park is our responsibility.” Bangoura clarified that the City of Minneapolis is responsible for what happens on the street.
Bangoura also told residents that issues in the park system are addressed with “our officers, with community, all of our community, our entire community. We are committed to this.”