Mpls city council approves Peavey Plaza design
Mayor R.T. Rybak and the Minneapolis City Council today approved the new design for the revitalization of Peavey Plaza.
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View of Peavey Plaza looking south, summer
Artist rendering courtesy of Oslund & Associates
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In a release sent out this morning, Mayor R.T. Rybak praised the design, created by Tom Oslund, the designer behind Gold Medal Park and the I-35 bridge memorial.
"The new, revitalized Peavey Plaza retains the most beloved aspects of the current Peavey Plaza and dramatically improves upon it," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. "We could not, and would not, build today the Peavey Plaza that we have loved for 40 years, but we are getting the best of both: we are honoring the modernist history of the original and making it safe, accessible and sustainable for the 21st century."
Last month a group of architects and preservationists - including the original architect of the plaza, M. Paul Friedberg - expressed concerns that too much was being lost in the renovation.
The new design calls for more efficient fountains and meets the American Disabilities Act requirements.
The $8-$10 million project is supported by $2 million in state bond funding, with the balance to come from private contributions that the Mayor and representatives of the Minnesota Orchestral Association have committed to raising. The City and the Minnesota Orchestra are collaborating in the revitalization of Peavey Plaza, which is adjacent to Orchestra Hall, in conjunction with the Orchestra's $50 million renovation of Orchestra Hall.
Groundbreaking is tentatively set for spring 2012 with a grand opening in summer 2013.