MINNEAPOLIS — By Irene Jones, Friends of the Mississippi River. August 15, 2018 While mid-summer meetings aren’t typically known for great attendance, a series of mid-July meetings drew crowds of metro-area residents and other stakeholders to discuss the future of underused locks and dams in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The purpose of the meetings was … Read More
Refreshments will be served. Where: Pohlad Hall (S-280 2nd Floor), Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis MN 55401 When: Thursday, July 26, 2:30 PM reception; meeting program from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Agenda: Welcome & Introductions (10 minutes) Snapshot of the Disposition Study Process Underway (5 minutes) Mike DeRusha, USACE, Lock Master Nan … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BY FRIENDS OF THE LOCK & DAM Contact: Kjersti Monson, 612.836.8266 April 13, 2018 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Minneapolis City Council passed a Resolution today supporting The Falls, a redevelopment initiative to transform the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock into a visitor and interpretive center. The action underscores the City’s ongoing commitment to public … Read More
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA — By Kjersti Monson. The Minnesota House Capital Committee hearing took place on March 21, 2018 for HF2898, a bill for an act relating to capital investment; appropriating money for Upper St. Anthony Lock redevelopment; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds. Representative Raymond Dehn introduced the bill, which seeks $1.5 million predesign dollars … Read More
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — By Molly Rosenblatt. It’s been almost three years since the Upper St. Anthony Falls closed to boat traffic on the Mighty Mississippi. Now, there’s a vision to transform the area into a major destination for locals and tourists. While in the early stages, there are plans to revitalize the Minneapolis riverfront. With a 49-foot drop … Read More
ALONG THE RIVER — The Mississippi runs the spine of America, touching 10 states and draining waters from 21 more, a vast waterway with a rich mythology, a sometimes powerful beauty and an always alarming propensity to flood. Nearly 30 locks and dams hold back water in the river’s upper reaches. Every river bend to the … Read More
“Spirit Island Projection,” by Andrea Carlson. The lock at St. Anthony Falls doesn’t send boats up and down the Mississippi River anymore. Now it hosts art. On Friday and Saturday nights, St. Paul artist Aaron Dysart will project a rock-concert-like light show inside the lock’s empty tank. Huge colored floodlights will be arranged on the … Read More
For the first weekend of “Illuminate the Lock” artist Aaron Dysart used data from 47 years of lock-keeper logbooks to program a light show. Courtesy of The Soap Factory You can usually only get past security into the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock as part of a tour. But for “Illuminate the Lock” events, the gates … Read More
National Park Service superintendent John Anfinson looked out over the lock and dam. The National Park Service is drawing up ambitious plans to provide more public access and to restore the Mississippi River and its waterfront above and below St. Anthony Falls now that Lock & Dam #1 has been turned into a visitor center. … Read More
Public access to the lock may be a sign of what’s to come in the future. When the lock at Upper St. Anthony Falls was closed to ship and boat traffic two years ago, it became pretty much just that: a closed lock. After years of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sponsored tours, the lock … Read More