Peavey Plaza

Peavey Plaza is a public outdoor event space in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota at the south end of Nicollet Mall between South 11th and 12th Streets. The sunken plaza and its amphitheater were designed by landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg and built in 1975 alongside Orchestra Hall.[2] The Cultural Landscape Foundation has deemed the plaza a "marvel of modernism"[3] and it has been named one of the top ten most endangered historical sites in Minnesota.[4]

Peavey Plaza
Fountain at Peavey Plaza
Location1101 Nicollet Mall
Coordinates44°58′19.9″N 93°16′31.9″W
Area1 acre
Built1975 (1975)
ArchitectM. Paul Friedberg
Architectural styleModern Movement
NRHP reference No.12001173[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 14, 2013

Revitalization

In 2011, joint plans by the City of Minneapolis and Minnesota Orchestra management were criticized for excluding key designers such as Friedberg.[5] Following a public meeting where architect Tom Oslund proposed changing the plaza, Minneapolis activist Trish Brock launched the Save Peavey Plaza campaign.[6][7] Brock reached out to and united The Cultural Landscape Foundation and the Preservation Alliance to move forward with the preservation of Peavey Plaza.

In June 2012, the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and the Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis on the grounds that the planned demolition of Peavey Plaza would violate a Minnesota law protecting "historic resources" from "pollution, impairment or destruction."[8][9] In January 2013, the plaza was placed on the National Register of Historic Places; the lawsuit remained outstanding at that time.[10] On October 4, 2013, the lawsuit was resolved in favor of the Plaza's preservation. The settlement agreement included the following language:

The parties agree that the goal of any new plan plan will be to preserve the Plaza through a rehabilitation that is consistent with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties, and specifically with the Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes published by the U.S. National Park Service."[11]

The National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the plaza as one of ten historic sites saved in 2013.[12]

In November and December 2014, the plaza was used as the site of the "Minneapolis Holiday Market",[13] a part of the Holidazzle Village which replaced the holiday parade held in previous years.[14]

Within the next year the city found the fountains and pool too difficult to maintain and drained them. The plaza remained open with the water features inactive until 2017 when the city and consultants finalized new plans for a redesign.[15] The $10 million renovation, completed in July 2019, preserved the original design of the plaza but improved its accessibility and maintainability, and brought new light to the southern end of Nicollet Mall. The new Peavey Plaza features new and improved water fountains, a new wading pool, interactive changing lighting, and a new entertainment plaza.[15][16]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Shattuck, Kathryn (May 16, 2012). "Minneapolis Tussles Over a Faded Plaza". The New York Times.
  3. "Marvels of Modernism: Peavey Plaza". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. October 15, 2008.
  4. Metzger, Michael (May 1, 2008). "Peavey Plaza makes list of endangered historic sites". MinnPost.
  5. Combs, Marianne (October 18, 2011). "Architects, preservationists concerned over Peavey Plaza's future". Minnesota Public Radio.
  6. Kinbar, Sarah (October 1, 2012). "Preservation Pulpit: The Heart of Minneapolis". Modern Magazine.
  7. Rao, Maya (April 18, 2012). "Heritage Preservation Commission torpedoes Peavey Plaza plan". Star Tribune.
  8. Royce, Graydon (July 6, 2012). "Peavey Plaza lawsuit filed". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  9. http://www.mnpreservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Peavey-Plaza-Suit-Announcement-June-2012.pdf
  10. Peck, Claude (January 18, 2013). "Peavey Plaza is listed on National Register". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  11. "Victory! An Agreement on Peavey Plaza". us4.campaign-archive1.com.
  12. staff (January 5, 2014). "A look at 10 historic sites save, 10 lost in 2013". Associated Press as reported by the Post Crescent. p. F3.
  13. http://www.minneapolisholidaymarket.com/
  14. "Minneapolis Downtown Council". mpls downtown council.
  15. Fisher, Tom (July 21, 2017). "Redo of Peavey Plaza in Minneapolis preserves and updates the once-popular park". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  16. "Peavey Plaza". City of Minneapolis. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
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