Updates coming soon to Minneapolis’ North Commons Community Center

Minneapolis community members are getting the opportunity to decide what the North Commons Community Center could look like in the future.

One resident says there’s a sense of pride that comes from having a say in such a big project.

“It’s fun. You put sticky notes and say what your opinion is and say this is exactly what I’m seeing now and it could potentially change the future project,” said Mallory Prangley of Minneapolis.

Residents are considering four main options for the North Commons project. The first two propose updating and expanding the location’s community building and water park — at a cost of about $35 million. The other two concepts involve getting rid of both facilities and rebuilding — those plans would cost about $50 million.

The goal is to transform North Commons into a hub for arts, recreation, athletics and other community events. Project manager Dan Elias told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the project includes funding from “the 20-year neighborhood park plan,” an initiative that aims to bring high-quality community parks to under-served neighborhoods.

“North Commons Park sits within a city that has really high youth population and we want to serve that youth population and get families in north Minneapolis to the facility to see what the park has got to offer,” said Elias.

Later this year, staff and designers will come up with a final concept based on all the feedback they receive.