To improve biodiversity and habitat connectivity while offering more opportunities for recreation and education along the upper Mississippi River, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board hired Barr and Tom Leader Studio to design the re-creation of the historic Hall’s Island and the redevelopment of the former lumber yard into Graco Park. The project helped transform an industrial river corridor into a valuable habitat for birds, aquatic species, and other wildlife and a community asset for cyclists, runners, walkers, canoeists, kayakers, anglers, and nature enthusiasts.
For the Island recreation, completed in 2017, Barr provided river and sediment-transport modeling, channel and island design, environmental impact assessments and permitting, and site investigations to delineate contaminated fill and debris. We prepared response action plans and provided oversight of the cleanup and island construction. Barr’s design allowed for the reuse of clean soil and rip rap from the park site to build the island. Imported clean cover placed in the beach area, on the island, and below the water provided a protective barrier over contaminated soils and sediments and created habitat features specifically designed for mussels, turtles, and fish.
After completing Hall’s Island, Barr led the civil, environmental, and ecological design of adjacent Graco Park, of which Hall’s Island is now a part. Working with lead architecture and landscape architecture firms, Barr designed all the grading and green infrastructure to support Minneapolis’s newest riverside park. We also designed and oversaw the construction of a vapor mitigation system in the new park building and assisted with sourcing and environmental screening of soil imported from various other local projects, resulting in cost savings among multiple projects and reduced environmental impacts from transportation. With construction substantially completed in 2024, the park is now open to the public.