Min Hi Line is a proposed linear park and shared-use path that would eventually re-purpose an active rail and agri-industrial corridor in the Longfellow community of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

, Minnesota, United States. Modeled after successful projects like the Atlanta

Beltline The Atlanta BeltLine (also Beltline or Belt Line) is a open and planned loop of multi-use trail and light rail transit system on a former railway corridor around the core of Atlanta, Georgia. The Atlanta BeltLine is designed to reconnect neig ...

and New York

High Line The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Op ...

, it would feature an approximately , shared-use pathway that traverses housing, retail, commercial buildings, gardens, playgrounds, and public art installments. Two pilot projects completed in 2018 and 2019 connect the Min Hi Line corridor to trail systems at its northern and southern ends.

History

The proposed area for the Min Hi Line is used by

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

Archer Daniels Midland The Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, commonly known as ADM, is an American multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation founded in 1902 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company operates more than 270 plants and 4 ...

, Leder Brothers Metal, and

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company ori ...

. After Archer Daniel Midland ceases operations in the area, the century-old Atkinson Mill structure at East 38th Street will be the last remaining active grain mill left in the city of Minneapolis. The grain silos and milling structures are a defining feature of the local neighborhood, and could be incorporated into future redevelopment. Long-term city plans envision parks and open space for the freight rail tracks. A community group, Min Hi Line Coalition, has publicized issues related to reuse of the industrial corridor.

Pilot projects

Greenway connection

A pathway built in 2019 along the east side of Hiawatha Avenue from East 32nd Avenue to East 28th Avenue, though technically part of the Hiawatha LRT Trail, is also referred to as the northernmost segment of the Min Hi Line.

Minnehaha Park connection

A housing and retail development at East 46th Avenue and Snelling Avenue features a pathway to Nawadaha Boulevard that is considered the south end of the Min Hi Line.

Route

Min Hi Line is named after the Minnehaha-Hiawatha freight rail corridor between

Hiawatha Avenue Minnesota State Highway 55 (MN 55) is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Hi ...

and Snelling Avenue/

Cheatham Avenue John Cheatham (18551918) was an American firefighter in Minneapolis. Born as an enslaved person in St. Louis, Missouri, Cheatham was freed at the age of eight by the Emancipation Proclamation, and then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his f ...

(formerly Dight Avenue). At its northern end, it reaches the

Midtown Greenway The Midtown Greenway is a rail trail in Minneapolis, Minnesota that follows the path of an abandoned route of the Milwaukee Road railway. It is considered under segregated cycle facilities. Used both recreationally and for commuting, the p ...

, and at its southern end it reaches the

Minnehaha Falls Minnehaha Park is a city park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and home to Minnehaha Falls and the lower reaches of Minnehaha Creek. Officially named Minnehaha Regional Park, it is part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board sys ...

park area. The approximately pathway would be at-grade, crossing 12 streets along its north–south course. Trail users could connect to many other shared-use paths in the area, such as

Hiawatha LRT Trail Hiawatha LRT Trail is a , multi-use path adjacent to a light-rail transit line in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, that is popular with bicycle commuters. Users travel along the Metro Blue Line and Hiawatha Avenue transit corridor, reac ...

, Little Earth Trail, and

Grand Rounds Grand rounds are a methodology of medical education and inpatient care, consisting of presenting the medical problems and treatment of a particular patient to an audience consisting of doctors, pharmacists, residents, and medical students. It wa ...

trail network. The Min Hi Line corridor features many multi-unit housing complexes and business. The Min Hi Line would contrast with bike highways that are used almost exclusively for transportation and recreation. Designed for more moderately-paced activities, the linear park and pathway would increase social connectedness and green the urban environment.

Nearby sites

Attractions

* Hiawatha Avenue Mural on the Harvest States grain elevator by artist Sara Rotholz Weiner. *Lake Street shopping district *

Minnehaha Mile Minnehaha is a Native American woman documented in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem '' The Song of Hiawatha''. She is the lover of the titular protagonist Hiawatha and comes to a tragic end. The name, often said to mean "laughing w ...

boutique and vintage shopping district * Minnehaha Regional Park * ''Purple Rain'' house of "The Kid" historic landmark

Neighborhoods

* Longfellow community:

Cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ' ...

Hiawatha Hiawatha ( , also : ), also known as Ayenwathaaa or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some accou ...

, Howe, and

Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

*West of Hiawatha Avenue: Corcoran,

Ericsson (lit. "Telephone Stock Company of LM Ericsson"), commonly known as Ericsson, is a Sweden, Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm. The company sells infrastructure, software, and services in ...

, and Standish

Transportation

Metro Blue Line The Metro Blue Line is a light rail line in Hennepin County, Minnesota, that is part of the Metro network. It travels from downtown Minneapolis to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and the southern suburb of Bloomington. Fo ...

Lake Street/Midtown Station Lake Street/Midtown station, also referred locally as either the Lake Street station or Midtown station, is a Blue Line light rail stop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Description This elevated station spans over East Lake Stree ...

** 38th Street Station ** 46th Street Station *Shared-use paths **

** Little Earth Trail **

*Streets **

** Lake Street

References

External links

Minneapolis 2040: The City's Comprehensive Plan
{{coord missing, Minnesota Bike paths in Minnesota Greenways Parks in Minneapolis Rail trails in Minnesota Shared-use paths in Minneapolis Transportation in Minneapolis