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East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
LHB is in the preliminary design stages for The East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center, a project resulting from a unique partnership between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the East Phillips Park Community Design Team (EPPCDT), a dedicated group of local community members. The two-phase project is anticipated to include: cultural displays, celebration space, gathering areas, a teen center, office space, conference rooms, a fieldhouse/gym, indoor toddler play area, tutoring and education center, and a community kitchen. Proposed improvements on the park’s master plan include renovating the site for a youth soccer field, baseball diamond, and stormwater management strategies including a green roof and rain gardens.
The site is in one of the most diverse and heavily populated neighborhoods of Minneapolis and numerous community planning and focus group meetings are being held to program the facility. These meetings are attended by a coalition of LHB, the Park Board, the Design Team, the East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC), Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association, Inc., the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID), the Liga Hispana De Beisbol, Little Earth of United Tribes, and members of the Somali & African American Communities. The planning for the Center has revolved around creating a safe environment that is welcoming to all cultures and ages while providing a location for needed family health, wellness and educational activities, after-school tutoring, as well as youth and adult sports.
The Community and the Park Board are committed to a state-of-the-art sustainable green building which will meet the State of Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines (B3). In addition, the project has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and may seek LEED® Silver Certification.
Parties interested in donating to the building and/or on-going operations of The East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center should contact Scott Vreeland, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commission – District #3, at svreeland@minneapolisparks.org or Brad Pass, Chair EPPCDT, at bpass@usinternet.com.
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