Water Works at Mill Ruins Park is located in the Saint Anthony Falls Historic District in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Formerly an abandoned 2.5-acre site along the Mississippi River, it was recently transformed into a public space with views of the river, providing a new park pavilion and green space, an outdoor dining and event lawn, and a playground for the community. Barr proudly served on the team led by Damon Farber / Landscape Architects that designed Water Works for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.
The Minnesota chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects recently awarded the Water Works project their Award of Excellence. Barr assisted with the overall site grading and design of the stormwater management system, including an innovative rainwater capture and reuse system, funded by a grant from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization. This system collects runoff from the rooftops of three adjacent high-rises and the new park pavilion, which is ultimately used for site irrigation and toilet flushing.
Photo credit: Damon Farber / Landscape Architects