Mississippi Watershed Management Organization Community Facility

2014 Environmental Impact Award Winner

Location: 2522 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN
Nominated by: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization

The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) had a clear vision of what their new community facility would look like when the project started in 2009. The building and grounds were to be completely unique, both as an educational/training/interpretive facility and as a gateway property which would spur the redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood and the Mississippi River corridor to the north.

Furthermore, the MWMO wanted to create a new facility on the Mississippi River that supported education on water quality and stormwater issues, provided the local community with access to the river, demonstrated innovative and best management practices for urban water quality, and functioned as an office for the MWMO staff of 15. All this had to be wrapped in a sustainable design that could be viewed as a model for redevelopment along the upper Mississippi River.

The new MWMO community facility is a 1.26-acre site located between the east bank of the Mississippi River and Marshall Street in northeast Minneapolis, adjacent to the new Lowry Avenue Bridge. The site has a long history of industrial and commercial land uses, along with the presence of undocumented fill with debris that had been placed in a former ravine that crossed the site. A series of investigations identified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum impacts, and metals in the debris fill at concentrations of concern.

The MWMO remediated the site by removing approximately 18,000 tons of debris fill to a landfill and establishing a clean cover across the site. The cleanup and development created a recreational space with integrated stormwater management that provides dramatic views, a small amphitheater, and a pedestrian connection between Marshall Street and the river. The recreational space compliments the MWMO’s building, which includes numerous sustainable elements such as a geothermal heating and cooling system, water and energy conservation measures, and allowances for alternative commuting options.

The unanticipated costs associated with disposing the contaminated debris fill caused a hardship for the MWMO to fully realize their demonstration and educational goals for the project. Thankfully, the Department of Employment and Economic Development and Hennepin County Environmental Response Fund awarded the MWMO environmental cleanup grants to help offset the additional cost for managing these contaminated soils.

Now complete, the MWMO community facility provides community outreach and education in a unique urban setting for an array of topics related to water, the environment, urban ecology, and conservation. The community is pleased with the site and building. They have been used by many organizations for meetings and events that involve topics related to water, natural resources, recycling, and other environmental outcomes. These organizations include local neighborhood groups, Northeast Chamber of Commerce, Hennepin County Environmental Services, City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, Exchange Club, Trust for Public Land, Friends of the Mississippi River, Mississippi Riverfront Partnership, and National Park Service.

The completed development and its ongoing use is providing a positive influence on the community and offering interpretive cues for future development that is planned along the Mississippi River and beyond.

Project Funding:

• Hennepin County Environmental Response Fund
• Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Project Partners:

• Mississippi Watershed Management Organization board and staff
• City of Minneapolis
• Hennepin County Environmental Response Fund
• Minnesota Department of Employee and Economic Development
• Barr Engineering Co.
• Braun Intertec Corporation
• Stearns and Associate
• Sara Nettleleton Architects
• Michael Huber Architects
• Meisinger Construction
• Veit & Co.
• Rachel Contracting
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Tony Jaros’ River Garden