Minneapolis is sprucing up its green spaces and giving them names to match — say hello to Parque Monarca, the latest addition to the city's roster of rejuvenated outdoorsy spots. This new name for the neighborhood park along the Midtown Greenway was settled upon by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Commissioners on Wednesday, according to an announcement from the MPRB. The chosen name holds a certain significance, acknowledging the cultural heritage of the community in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood.
The greenway itself is a regional trail that now boasts its own patch of serene landscape at 2828 11th Ave S, where the towering Cepro grain elevators once stood, however, since Hennepin County snagged the land in 2000, they did so to further develop the Midtown Greenway, and the Park Board welcomed it into their fold in 2019; it's been a blank canvas awaiting its official title. Residents have seen the area evolve with placemaking endeavors kicking off as early as 2011, with a notable addition in 2022 when a community garden and other park amenities were introduced, bringing the park closer to the vibrant community hub it’s poised to be.
Before settling on the name Parque Monarca, MPRB put its ears to the ground with two public hearings where community voices could be heard, the first on May 22, 2024, and the second on Oct. 9, 2025; these sessions paved the way for Resolution 2025-264, which christened the park as Parque Monarca. This MPRB release confirms that the tech side of things is on par with the new name, as the MPRB website and registration software now reflect the park's official title.
For those eagerly waiting to see the new name etched in cityscape, the promised "Parque Monarca" signs are on the docket to be installed come next spring, a visual symbol of the park's identity and a nod to the residents who've seen it transform from industrial relic to community cornerstone. While park-goers wait for these signs, they can still enjoy the already present amenities that have along the way transformed the area from a nondescript plot of land to a vibrant fixture for communal gathering and urban agriculture, all under the watchful guidance and handiwork of the MPRB, which has been shepherding the park's development in recent years.
