As the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) delves deeper into the Hiawatha Links project, a series of historical and cultural studies are underway to help shape the future of this storied golf course, with design concepts set for a late summer reveal—so don't start practicing your putt just yet, folks. According to a recent update from MPRB, we're in for a revised look that pays homage to the area's history, including its pre-golf course days and the transformation of Rice Lake (Bde Psin).
The project team is hitting the books, or more aptly the archives and landscapes, conducting what is expected to be a thorough Cultural Landscape Study, Ethnographic Study, and Phase I Architectural History Survey, all of which should be wrapped by summer's end, even if time, tide, and turf wait for no one. The State Historic Preservation Office is keeping an eagle eye as the project moves through the mandated Section 106 review process—a bureaucratic but necessary hurdle to ensure no historical caddie is left unturned.
On the drawing board, the design phase was teed off with a three-day charrette back in March, where MPRB staff and a slew of partners started the iterative process of refining proposals, etching out details like where the water hazards might go and how fairway aesthetics play a part. And, in the spirit of keeping everyone on course, the designs will soon be aired publicly for feedback, "scheduled to be ready for public feedback by late summer 2025," the board's communication noted, with plans to engage local putters online and face-to-face at an open house event when the time is right.
Amidst the buzz of redevelopment, it's inevitable that misinformation, like an errant golf ball, finds its way into the rough—hence, the MPRB is putting together a Frequently Asked Questions document to set things straight, though they haven't yet mentioned if the FAQ will tackle the definitive way to get out of a sand trap, it's nearly ready to go live, aiming to provide "accurate and helpful information" for the curious and concerned alike.
