The next East Downtown Council Business Forum is scheduled for Thursday, January 21, at Day Block Brewing – 1105 S. Washington Ave.
The topic for this event is “Pathway to Places, the City of Minneapolis Public Realm Framework and Downtown Service Area Master Plan for Parks: What They Are and Why They Matter.”
Registration, lunch and networking starts at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at Noon. The cost to attend the forum is just $20. Attendees can pay by cash or check at the door. Please RSVP by sending an email to in[email protected] by no later than Monday, January 18, at Noon.
FORUM DESCRIPTION
The January EDC Business Forum will feature Kjersti Monson of CPED and Jennifer Ringold of the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board unveiling of the new framework and services for downtown parks and the public realm. The Pathways to Places initiative is a collaboration between the City of Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development’s Downtown Public Realm Framework and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board’s Downtown Service Area Master Plan. The goal of these two initiatives coming together is to reshape how public space is planned and maintained. Through these two groups, in collaboration with public, private and non-profit stakeholders, the plan is to formulate a way to improve greening and pedestrian experience in the downtown area.
DEVELOPMENT SPOTLIGHT
The January development spotlight will be the Armory Event Center redevelopment presented by EDC Member Nancy Aleksuk of Swervo Development Corporation.
FORUM AGENDA
- 11:30-Noon Networking
- Noon-12:10 pm Introductions and EDC Update (Paul Mellblom and Dan Collison)
- 12:10-12:20 pm District Development Spotlight: “The Armory Redevelopment” (Nancy Aleksuk, Swervo Development Corporation)
- 12:20-12:55 pm “Pathway to Places” (Kjersti Monson and Jennifer Ringold)
- 12:55-1:00 pm Closing Announcements (Dan Collison)
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Kjersti Monson was appointed as Director of Long Range Planning, City of Minneapolis, in 2013. In this role, her mission is to ensure that the City’s goals and strategic objectives are codified in policies, plans, and implementation strategies; that the Enterprise and the city are informed by data and driven by results; that qualitative goals such as livability, equity, and placemaking are sought and achieved; and that the public interest is served. Kjersti serves on multiple boards and committees focused on urban issues and placemaking, and has recently joined Architecture MN (a publication of AIA) as a regular contributor. She is a Fulbright alumnus, and holds Masters degrees in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning from Harvard Graduate School of Design. Over the arc of her career, Kjersti has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, and the United States. She currently lives with her husband and two children in downtown Minneapolis. Prior to her role in Minneapolis, Kjersti served as the Real Estate Strategy market sector leader for U.S. East at AECOM, a global engineering and design firm.
Jennifer Ringold was named the Deputy Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in early 2015. Jennifer has served the MPRB since 1999 in many capacities including as Community Planner, Citywide Planner, Manager of Public Engagement and Citywide Planning, and most recently as the Director of Strategic Planning. Ringold received a Master of Science degree from the Humphrey School of Public Policy and Affairs at the University of Minnesota University with a focus in environmental policy and planning, sustainability, strategic planning, and conflict management.
