The Resurrection of Washington Avenue

The Resurrection of Washington Avenue. . , [Caption:] The Guthrie Theater, circa 2010, As industry and railroads left the Mississippi riverfront, private and public stakeholders gradually became aware that the area could be a destination for living, working and playing. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board acquired land along the central riverfront and developed it with trails and parkways which spurred private land development adjacent to the riverfront creating the new Mill District neighborhood which now comprises new condominium and townhouse projects as well as the Mill City Museum, Mill Ruins Park, the Guthrie Theater and MacPhail Center for Music. The Stone Arch Bridge was opened to pedestrian traffic in 1994, creating a link in the trail system and providing spectacular views of St. Anthony Falls., This site sat vacant until 1983 when a 6-story, 1,397-space municipal parking ramp was erected and named the Gateway Parking Ramp due to its proximity to the Gateway District., Washington Avenue has remained a major Minneapolis thoroughfare. In February 2008, Mayor R.T. Rybak and leaders of the Washington Boulevard Great City Design Team unveiled the results of their study to turn Washington Avenue into Washington Boulevard. Rybak said Washington Avenue is an important corridor in the city because it's a "connector of great places," noting that streets branching off lead to The Guthrie Theater, new Central Library, Gold Medal Park, the Grain Exchange and other city attractions., Image Source: Photographer: Ryan F. Kronzer, 5/2010. Text Sources: Washington Ave: from the first street of Minneapolis to 21st century boulevard, page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Minneapolis,_Minnesota#Reshaping_downtown. http://www.downtownjournal.com/index.php?&story=6003&page=65category=54. http://edcmpls.org/EDC80228.html.