The following recommendation by MPRB President Liz Wielinski was posted on the Issues List on March 2, 2015.

A Suggested Solution for Additional Parking for Graco is a Ramp on One of its Own Parking Lots

I would recommend that everyone look at the hybrid map attached to this link at Hennepin County

http://gis.hennepin.us/property/map/default.aspx?pid=1502924410014

if you zoom out a bit you will be able to see the 8 surface parking lots that go from Plymouth at the south to Broadway at the north.  All of these are owned by GRACO and would provide ample room for a new HQ, and room for additional manufacturing capacity all with views to the river and downtown if they chose to create one ramp to serve their suburban employees from Minnetrista and other locales.  It isn’t lack of respect for Graco it is wondering why in this town that abhors surface parking why this is considered OK instead of preserving parkland (and yes it is still zoned industrial because there is no PARK zoning in Minneapolis. Parks can be located in any zoning).

Liz Wielinski
Park Commissioner for the Eastside