Cedar Lake Beach

The Cedar Lake South Beach Plaza and Restroom facility brings much-needed public amenities to one of Minneapolis’ most popular Chain of Lakes beaches. The site features a 3-season restroom with facility maintenance room, gathering plaza, and beach access stairway that provides an enhanced recreational experience for active and passive users. The project navigated complex site conditions to preserve mature trees, minimize impact on steep shoreline slopes, and reroute utilities below trails & roadways. At the intersection of multi-modal pathways, the project upgraded a 2-lane bikeway and walking trail to minimize circulation conflicts. Community engagement integrated feedback from a number of stakeholders including City officials, Park and Rec Board, nearby residents, regional trail users, and the Watershed district. Xeriscape plantings, a weathered steel and stone runnel, and a rip-rap dry-well were designed to keep water quality at the forefront by intercepting and filtering runoff before it reached the lake.