Van White - Boulevard

As a part of the Minneapolis' Near Northside Master Plan and The Heritage Park Redevelopment, a new, north - south green-way boulevard is being created in Minneapolis. This new street will play a key role in urban planning for the Harrison Neighborhood. Now known as Van White Memorial Boulevard, the street will connect 7^th St North near Plymouth Avenue, to Dunwoody Boulevard at I 394, weaving a path through Harrison along Fremont Avenue and creating a new commercial node at Glenwood. Completion of Van White Blvd is planned for 2009 - setting the stage for significant redevelopment of the Bassett Creek valley.

Here’s how the master plan describes the route.

“A new north-south boulevard extends through the heart of the site and provides a focus for community activities. As the centerpiece of the master plan framework, the proposed boulevard creates a picturesque address for hundreds of mixed-income housing units and connects the Master Plan site south through Bassett Creek Valley to the Parade area and south Minneapolis. A pair of feature parks, one north and one south of Olson Highway, build on the boulevard framework and create more intimate neighborhood places.”

So who was Van White?

“Van Freeman White was born on August 2, 1924, the first of five children. When he was just ten years old White's father died, leaving him with instructions to take care of the family. Half a century of community service and a rise from laborer to city council member suggests that White took his charge seriously. White made history when he became the first African American elected to the (Minneapolis) city council in 1979.” - excerpted Van F. White Papers. Minnesota Historical Society. Read more here

A more in depth review of the recent Bassett Creek Masterplan will follow in upcoming posts. Feel free to dig in to the plan at your leisure.

Harrison Stats #1

The Harrison neighborhood is located in north Minneapolis. With a population of 4,156, this community is nestled between Bassett Creek (on the south), the Farmers Market / Lyndale AvenueOlson Memorial Highway (on the north) and Theodore Wirth Park
(on the east), and is bounded by (on the west).

According to the 2000 Census, the population of Harrison overall grew 21% in ten years without an increase in housing units. Accompanying the population increase is the startling statistic that 37% of those in Harrison are under the age of 18, and, of those, 63% live in poverty. – Harrison Neighborhood Association

Paperless Visit

This site will be the Team information source for the AIA Minneapolis, Mayors Great City Design Team visit to Harrison Neighborhood - January 4th and 5th , 2008. In an effort to share information quickly and without paper - Team Co-Leaders Daniel Green, AIA and Rick Carter, AIA will post to this site. Please feel free to email Daniel or Rick with any questions.
dgreen at millerdunwiddie.com
rick.carter at LHBcorp.com