Wirth Adventure and Welcome Center Project Set to Move Ahead

The Minnesota Office of Management and Budget has completed its review of Wirth Adventure and Welcome Center Project funding and is satisfied that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) can move forward with the agreements with the Loppet Foundation the MPRB Board of Commissioners approved at its Sept. 7, 2016 meeting.

The three agreements approved at the Sept. 7 meeting facilitate the construction, donation, lease and operation of The Trailhead. This outdoor recreation hub in Wirth Park was formerly known as the Wirth Adventure and Welcome Center. Please read the Aug. 4 news release for more detailed information on the respective agreements.

The MPRB will move forward with work in Theodore Wirth Regional Park, including considering resolutions on the April 19, 2017 Board meeting agenda. The Loppet Foundation will continue working toward their plan of having The Trailhead operational for the 2017-18 winter recreation season.

About the Minneapolis Park Board and Loppet Foundation

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has protected, maintained, improved and expanded the unique natural resources, parkland and recreation opportunities at Theodore Wirth Regional Park for more than a century. The Loppet Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to create a shared passion for year-round outdoor adventure in the Minneapolis area, focusing on underserved youth and families.

The Loppet Foundation has partnered with the MPRB since its start in 2002, anchoring its work in Theodore Wirth Regional Park. In 2016, the MPRB and Loppet expanded this robust, successful relationship with the beginning of construction on The Trailhead, a new outdoor recreation hub in the park, and new agreements that will help provide programming and outdoor experiences superior to what either party could deliver independently.