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| Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission | |
|---|---|
| Name | Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission |
| Type | Municipal preservation body |
| Formed | 1971 |
| Jurisdiction | Minneapolis |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis City Hall |
| Parent agency | Minneapolis City Council |
Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission is the municipal body charged with reviewing alterations, demolitions, and designations for historic resources in Minneapolis. It operates within the framework established by Minneapolis City Charter and interacts with local stakeholders, neighborhood organizations, property owners, and state-level bodies such as the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service. The commission’s work overlaps with preservation efforts involving landmarks like Foshay Tower, neighborhoods such as Sweepstakes, and institutions including Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
The commission arose in the wake of 20th-century preservation movements exemplified by responses to losses like Pennsylvania Station (New York City), and national legislation such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 influenced municipal action in Minneapolis. Early local efforts connected to figures and organizations such as Wright brothers-era awareness, Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts, Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Historical Society. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the commission worked amid urban renewal debates involving projects near Nicollet Mall, Hennepin Avenue Theatre District, Mill District, and coordination with federal programs like the Historic Preservation Fund. Its agenda expanded in the 1990s and 2000s during redevelopment of sites adjacent to Target Field, Guthrie Theater, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, prompting conflicts similar to controversies surrounding Penn Station (Pennsylvania)-style demolitions and debates involving the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The commission is appointed by the Mayor of Minneapolis and confirmed by the Minneapolis City Council, drawing members from constituencies represented by districts such as Ward 1 (Minneapolis), Ward 3 (Minneapolis), Ward 7 (Minneapolis), and other wards. It includes professional staff comparable to those in the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office and collaborates with urban planners from the Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED), preservation architects from firms connected to Heritage Preservation Services, and consultants familiar with standards from the Secretary of the Interior (United States) and the National Park Service. The commission’s advisory committees have included representatives of neighborhood organizations like the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association, business groups such as the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, and preservation nonprofits including the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota.
Property designation criteria reflect standards influenced by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and listing practices similar to the National Register of Historic Places. Criteria emphasize architectural significance related to architects and firms such as Cass Gilbert, William H. Willcox, Long and Kees, and Frederick Law Olmsted-inspired landscapes associated with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Designations consider associations with events like the Mill City industrial era, cultural movements linked to Northrop Auditorium performances, and the work of persons such as James J. Hill and Ellen Harvey (artist). District nominations often mirror practices used in districts like Loring Park Historic District, Washburn-Fair Oaks Mansion District, and the Bryn Mawr Historic District.
The commission administers overlays and programs similar to those run by the Minnesota Historical Society, including design review, plaques and markers akin to Historic American Buildings Survey, incentives drawing on Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, and outreach tied to events like Historic Preservation Month. It partners with institutions such as the University of Minnesota, Hennepin County Library, and Minneapolis Institute of Art to host workshops, archives collaboration, and educational programs comparable to those of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Grant programs and tax-credit facilitation intersect with financing sources like the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and local affordable housing initiatives offered through the Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
The commission’s work affects landmarks and districts that include, by association and review, sites like the Foshay Tower, Washburn "A" Mill, Mill City Museum, Stone Arch Bridge (Minneapolis), Loring Park, North Loop Warehouse District, and neighborhoods such as Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, Uptown (Minneapolis), and Dinkytown. It has overseen cases involving civic sites such as Northrop Auditorium, entertainment venues like the Orpheum Theatre (Minneapolis), and residential estates linked to families including Washburn-Crosby and industrialists in the Lumber Exchange Building milieu.
Its regulatory authority stems from municipal ordinances enacted by the Minneapolis City Council and processes informed by federal standards used by the National Park Service and state procedures in the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office. Applications for Certificates of No Change, Certificates of Economic Hardship, and Certificate of Appropriateness require public hearings similar to procedures employed by bodies like the Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission and involve notices to neighborhood associations such as the Loring Greenway Association. Appeals follow administrative routes comparable to petitions to the Minneapolis Planning Commission or litigation referencing case law shaped by decisions in courts addressing National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 disputes.
The commission has faced criticism paralleling debates seen in other preservation contexts such as the Pennsylvania Station (New York City) controversy and disputes involving the National Trust for Historic Preservation—including accusations of impeding development around projects like Target Field and tensions over affordable housing projects tied to Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Critics include developers associated with firms doing business in Hennepin County and neighborhood groups such as Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association, while advocates include preservationists from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and scholars at the University of Minnesota. Contentious cases have prompted coverage by media outlets such as the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) and legal challenges referencing municipal code and state preservation statutes administered in cooperation with the Minnesota Historical Society.
Category:Heritage conservation in Minnesota Category:Minneapolis government agencies