On October 6, W along with the City of Saint Paul and the Great River Passage Conservancy unveiled the final conceptual design for the Mississippi River Learning Center. The learning center will be a welcoming, accessible gateway to the Mississippi River, connecting residents, state-wide and national visitors to the river and its ecology. W’s proposal includes a canopy walk to provide universal access from the 95 foot bluff to the river. The canopy walk will also connect the Sam Morgan Regional Trail on the bluff to the network of trails and parks within the floodplain.

The design proposes a channel be excavated through the existing man-made peninsula to provide safe, accessible points to touch the waters of the Mississippi River. The channel will connect the two bays, Canoe Cove, for human powered craft, and the Watergate Marina, for larger, motorized water craft.

For more information about this project and other projects along the Mississippi in St. Paul, go here. To see the final presentation, go here.