Grantees Include City of Minneapolis, GMCC, Juxtaposition Arts, and North Loop Neighborhood Association

Originally posted, July 23, 2021
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MINNEAPOLIS — The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) is pleased to announce that it has awarded four new grants for projects designed to protect and improve water quality and habitat in our watershed.

The MWMO Board of Commissioners voted July 13 to approve funding for two new Capital Project Grants as well as two Stewardship Fund Planning Grants. Capital Project Grant recipients include the City of Minneapolis and Juxtaposition Arts, while Planning Grant recipients include Greater Minneapolis Community Connections (GMCC) and the North Loop Neighborhood Association.

“We’re excited to work with our grantees and partners on these new projects, which will provide a variety of public benefits,” said MWMO Executive Director Doug Snyder. “These grants will help keep pollutants out of the Mississippi River, add valuable urban habitat, and create new green spaces for the public to enjoy.”

Project details can be found below. Grant funding is awarded through a competitive process. For more information on the MWMO’s grant programs, visit the MWMO website at mwmo.org.

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New Stewardship Fund Projects

GMCC Tiered Gardens

MWMO Funding: $20,000
Grantee: GMCC (founded as Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches)
A Planning Grant from the MWMO Stewardship Fund will help pay for design of a “tiered garden” that supports stormwater management with green spaces on several levels around the GMCC (founded as Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches) facility and property near Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.
Partners: Lyceum Partners and Design, Inc.; Project Sweetie Pie

James Rice Park Habitat Restoration

MWMO Funding: $19,250
Grantee: North Loop Neighborhood Association
A Planning Grant from the MWMO Stewardship Fund will support the development of a volunteer-centric Natural Resource Management Plan (NRMP) for 6.25 acres of riverside natural areas at James Rice Park. Currently, much of the park’s natural areas are dominated by buckthorn and other invasive plants. The project will create a science-based stewardship plan to guide strategic removal of remaining invasive plants throughout James Rice Park, prevent regrowth, and increase diversity and resiliency through cultivating native species.
Partners: Friends of the Mississippi River; Metro Blooms; Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board; Mississippi Park Connection

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New Capital Projects

Downtown East Greening Project

MWMO Funding: $500,000
Grantee: City of Minneapolis
This grant to the City of Minneapolis will fund green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), flood protection, and sustainable landscaping as part of a street reconstruction project near U.S. Bank Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis. A new filtration basin will capture and treat runoff from 4.3 acres, removing an estimated 4.8 pounds of total phosphorus and 946 pounds of sediment annually. The project will help mitigate flooding in the area. It is significant in that it is among the first green infrastructure projects within the downtown core right-of-way.

Juxtaposition Arts Campus Expansion

MWMO Funding: $216,000
Grantee: Juxtaposition Arts
The project includes a stormwater retention and reuse system, native plantings to support habitat creation, and educational strategies as part of a $12 million Campus expansion project at Juxtaposition Arts (JXTA) in North Minneapolis. As part of the project, JXTA would like to incorporate stormwater management features that are innovative, highly visible, and provide educational benefits for their students, partners, MWMO and North Minneapolis.
Partners: Solution Blue; Ten x Ten; 4RM+ULA