Community members in Minneapolis will soon weigh in on a proposed name change for a local park that echoes both the city's industrial heritage and its ongoing partnership with a power company. According to a statement from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), a public hearing is set for December 4, 2024, to discuss renaming Xcel Field Park to Xcel Energy Park.
The debate over the park's name, carrying out a legacy tracing back to when the grounds served as a coal storage area for the Riverside power plant, now falls into the public domain. Served since the 1990s by the MPRB, the park previously saw the completion of a soil remediation project by Xcel Energy in 2013. Following that project's conclusion, in 2014, the MPRB entered into a 20-year lease with Xcel Energy.
Aside from its energy-related history, the site located at 2900 Marshall St. NE is known for recreational amenities such as Rod Carew All-Star Field, horseshoe pits, a large open field, a garden, and a picnic shelter. In the spirit of public engagement, residents can voice their opinions directly during the hearing at the MPRB Headquarters at 2117 West River Road. For those preferring to express their feedback without attending in person, comments can be forwarded via email to [email protected] by 3 pm on the day of the hearing.
Ahead of the hearing, the MPRB has outlined multiple ways for the public to contribute to the discourse. Individuals can add their name to the sign-up sheet presented at the front desk of the MPRB Headquarters on December 4 or dial 612-230-6400 before the 3 pm deadline the same day to reserve a slot to speak. Provided, the comments submitted via email or spoken during the hearing will be assimilated into the public record.
The upcoming meeting is not the first time the topic has been open to public input; an initial hearing took place in April 2023. Waiting faithfully to the guidelines set forth by the MPRB Naming Policy, which requires a two-year waiting period before commissioners can cast their final votes on such nominations, the December hearing represents an important step in the decision-making process regarding the park's potential new identity marking a fresh chapter in its history.
