Historic Park Master Plan
Historic Park Master Plan
EOR worked with the City, the Citizens of Little Falls, the U.S. ACE, Minn. State Historic Preservation Office, Minn. DNR, EPA, Morrison County Historical Society, and Morrison County SWCD to create the Historic Master Plan. The plan transforms a historic, polluted paper mill on the banks of the Mississippi River into a city park. EOR's unique site design fostered the transformation of the contaminated landmark into a public amenity. Mill Park, as the site in now known, has reclaimed the site's ecologic function and preserved an invaluable piece of history.
Main Project Components
- Preservation and incorporation of historic mill structures and elements
- Mississippi River shoreline stabilization and restoration
- Ecosystem restoration and habitat enhancement
- Fish passage around dam via historic canal
- Canoe launch and fishing piers
- Water quality pond and skating rink
- Hiking and biking trails
- Outdoor classrooms and gathering areas
- Native American and historical interpretations
Client Benefits
- Identified opportunity to preserve and re-purpose the historic mill raceway, into a critical fish passage around the Little Falls Dam.
- Completed schematic design for the fish passage, which the Minn. DNR is currently implementing.
- Engaged a large number of stakeholders, many with different priorities and conflicting interest.
- Elegantly combined historic preservation, ecological restoration, and habitat connectivity.
- "You wish that some of the original buildings could have been saved, but we’re happy to save some of the elements and let the people know that something important was there." - Morrison Cnty. Historical Society
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