Construction continues at the Mississippi Gateway Regional Park. Heading into the fall, a new road closure signifies progress for the $55 million redevelopment project combining two parks into one.
While the grand reopening is planned for 2026, Jason Zemke with the Three Rivers Park District said many of the park’s amenities will be available much sooner.
“We've kept the park open all the way through construction,” Zemke said. “We only closed off the areas immediately touched by construction and we'll open them back up as we can.”
In the western portion, an area formerly known as the Brooklyn Park Environmental Nature Area will soon be home to an expanded dog park and archery range.
“That will reopen sometime this fall, when we expect to be done with the parking lot and the path work,” Zemke said.
In the eastern portion, the existing Mississippi Gateway Regional Park is getting a complete overhaul. A new visitor center, an elevated tree-top trail and a “Mini Mississippi” play area are taking shape. The bulk of construction on those should wrap up in late 2025.
To combine these two plots of land into one cohesive park, a trail will pass underneath West River Road. “Before construction, these were two independent parks,” Zemke said. “Building that underpass will provide a safe connection for trail users.”
A portion of West River Road will close Sept. 16, with signs directing drivers to a detour. That closure will last through November 2024.
The Mississippi Gateway Center
A new building now stands at the core of the Mississippi Gateway Regional Park. According to Three Rivers Park District Landscape Architect Matt Swenson, it will serve as a visitor’s center, nature center and community center all wrapped into one.
Additionally, Three Rivers will offer outdoor education opportunities out of the new building. On the top floor, classrooms have direct exits to 850 feet of elevated walkway called the treetop trail. On the bottom floor, classrooms open up to the banks of the Mississippi River.
“We’re calling the ones downstairs our messy classrooms because they’re intended to be places that get dirty,” Swenson said. “We do a lot of programming out in the river, so people can come right back with their wet boots.”
Other construction updates
As construction continues on the west side of the park, a temporary dog off-leash area can be found near the water tower. For those waiting for the archery range to open, project leaders recommend using the archery range at Elm Creek Park Reserve in the meantime.
In addition to the West River Road detour, the West Mississippi River and Rush Creek regional trails will also be rerouted due to construction of the underpass.
Landscaping is complete on the hillside nature play area, with installation of play equipment planned for this fall.
Big picture
Three Rivers Park District operates more than 27,000 acres of parks and trails in the west metro, and the Mississippi Gateway Regional Park project is their most expensive redevelopment to date.
By merging with Brooklyn Park Environmental Nature Area, the park is doing more than just expanding its borders. “Brooklyn Park is offering money to develop their side of the park,” Zemke said.
According to Zemke, the goal is to create a park that is accessible to all. “We wanted to make the center of the park more developed, then less developed as you get out,” he said. “In that way, we can encourage people to get comfortable and then encourage them to explore the deeper parts of the park.”
Local News
Comments / 0