Midwest Skateboarding Alliance

Formed in 2015 by committed skater activists, MSA is dedicated to promoting recognition of skateboarding’s role within progressive urban and rural community planning, sustainable, active transportation networks, and a vibrant built environment that prioritizes public health.

Currently, MSA is working with community leaders & partner organizations to coordinate skatepark builds in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Downtown Breakroom - Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis, and especially the Downtown West neighborhood, has some of the most highly visited destinations in the region. Full of amenities—from bars and restaurants to concert and sporting venues—the area nevertheless lacks one essential feature: recreational green space.

The vacant lot at 2nd Avenue North and North 4th Street is an ideal location to meet this need. Located adjacent to Target Center and Target Field, the site is in a dense network of multi-family housing units and office buildings; consequently, it can serve a large population of residents and employees throughout the week. In addition, it is in a highly visible location and can serve as a common access point for the millions of visitors streaming into the area for entertainment and special events. Currently empty and neglected, the site could become a landmark for downtown.

Midwest Skateboarding Alliance has proposed construction of a multi-use pocket park on the site that would include a healing garden, dog run, picnic area, interactive art, and a skatepark.

A Skatepark for the Eastside - St. Paul

The overarching goal of this project is to provide the Payne Phalen and greater Eastside community with a shared resource that will excite, engage, and benefit residents. This is not just a skatepark, but a unique and memorable outdoor gathering space that residents can use for a wide range of purposes, from birthday parties and farmers markets to a simple lunch meeting spot. In other words, this project is for and because of “Eastside Pride”.

The proposed site for this park is currently a large, underutilized but highly visible parking lot at the corner of NW Payne Avenue and York Avenue (901 Payne Avenue), in the heart of the Payne Avenue business corridor. A dynamic community recreation and greenspace at this site will strengthen the growing vitality of Payne Avenue, bolster public safety without increased policing, and provide an outdoor “family room” for residents where visitors are also welcome.