The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is hosting an open house on Thursday, Julyb16, 2026, at Lake Nokomis Community Center to share progress on the schematic design phase of the Hiawatha Links project.
Since the last update in December 2025, the design team incorporated recommendations from the cultural resources work, aligned with the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), into the draft 30% schematic design.
During the next phase of design, the project will undergo SHPO's environmental review in tandem with the federal review. This work ensures compliance with the Minnesota Historic Sites Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
This latest iteration of the design is the culmination of over a decade’s worth of work.
Project information and materials will be available online following the open house at: www.minneapolisparks.org/hiawatha-links
Project history
Hiawatha Golf Course suffered four major floods in the last 75 years. After the last major flood, in 2014, the MPRB was informed it was pumping more than 240 million gallons of groundwater annually to keep the course dry, without a permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
MPRB Commissioners voted to approve resolutions that directed staff to develop an ecologically-driven plan that reduces groundwater pumping and creates a more flood-resilient golf course.
Three concept designs that follow the direction provided by MPRB Commissioners were published in August 2025. The designs were created through years of analysis and design, dozens of public meetings, specialized focus groups, and discussion with a wide range of stakeholders. The current plan is an amalgamation of the three previous concepts.
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