St. Paul is hosting a community meeting Thursday to update the public on the latest plans for the proposed river balcony project in the city’s downtown.
Mayor Chris Coleman is expected to make remarks at the event, which will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Discovery Room at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Imagined as a “dramatic public promenade,” the river balcony seeks to link the Science Museum and the Union Depot via a one and a half mile elevated walkway.
Located along the river bluff, it would connect key downtown development sites with restaurants, offices, shops and open spaces.
While still in the conceptual stage, the city envisions the project rolling out in phases over several years with public-private partnerships financing the balcony.
A master plan for the project is expected to be completed sometime in 2016.
The city recently requested members of the public submit ideas for the balcony as part of a contest. The Knight Foundation is offering up $25,000 to be shared among the contributors with the best ideas so that their concepts can be developed into installations that will be on display during a prototyping festival this September.
The winners were expected to be announced in mid-April.