Contact:

Mark Stenglein at 612-338-3807 or MStenglein@DowntownMinneapolis.com

The Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District Announces 3^rd Annual Downtown Greening Award Winners

Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District Presents Third Annual Greening Awards to Recognize Organizations Committed to Improving Downtowns Public Realm Through Greening.

Minneapolis, May 6, 2013 The Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) is proud to announce the winners of its third annual Greening Awards. A recognition program initiated by the DIDs Greening Committee, the awards were established to pay tribute to community greening champions in Downtown Minneapolis, and to demonstrate how both small and large greening and public realm projects can transform our environment.

The Greening and Public Realm Awards recognize property owners, businesses, and community groups who have created and maintained public green spaces that help to enhance Downtown Minneapolis. The program honored twenty winners at an award ceremony on May 6th.

The last US census showed that more people live in cities today (80.7%) than at any time in our history. And in Minneapolis, our fastest growing neighborhood is downtown, where we plan to add 35,000 residents by 2025. Unlike our world-class park system that weaves thru our citys neighborhoods, downtown is lacking in parks and green space to support these new residents. said David Wilson, Managing Partner at Accenture and Chair of the DID Greening and Public Realm Committee. Fortunately, our community is proactively planning new downtown parks and the renovation of existing public realm amenities to make sure that our city competes successfully for new residents, jobs and visitors. These 3rd Annual Greening and Public Realm Awards celebrate outstanding examples of downtown greening, and are intended to inspire all of us to work towards making downtown a greener and more vibrant place.

The DID Greening Committee nominated and recognized places that were exemplary in categories ranging from large to small, and summer to winter. The Greening Award categories and recipients are:

• · Best Entryway, Large Scale Target Corporation & Tangletown Gardens for the Target Plaza South Entry
• · Best Entryway, Small Scale Glueks Restaurant & Bar
• · Best Park Target Field
• · Best Park - Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board for the North 4th Ave Playground
• · Best Plaza
• · Best Window Boxes, Large Scale
• · Best Window Boxes, Small Scale - Café Lurcat
• · Best Parking Lot - Lunds Hennepin Parking Lot & Rain Garden
• · Best Outdoor Café - Loring Kitchen
• · Best Storefront Greening - Rosa Mexicano
• · Best Streetscape Greening Minneapolis Convention Center
• · Best Urban Agriculture MCTC Urban Farm Collective
• · Best Multiple Property - DAmico Partners for Masa and Café Lurcat
• · Community Involvement - Loring Greenway Association
• · Best Winter Greening, Large Scale Campbell Mithun Tower and Lyndale Plant Services
• · Best Winter Greening, Small Scale Lyon's Pub & Hearts and Flowers

Encore Awards are awarded to those entities that have exhibited exemplary contribution to the public realm environment of downtown consistently, year after year.

The 2012 Encore awards were presented to:

• · Encore Award The Local and Your Enchanted Florist for the sidewalk café greening at The Local
• · Encore Award St Olaf Catholic Church for the hidden idyll Assisi on 9^th
• · Encore Award Marquette Plaza for Cancer Survivors Park
• · Encore Award

For more information about the DID Greening Committee, services, initiatives and volunteer opportunities, visit www.minneapolisdid.com.

The Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) is a nonprofit entity that maintains a higher standard of care and behavior throughout 120 blocks of downtown. It was formed in early 2009 after more than five years of formative planning and advocacy by the downtown business community.

For questions, contact:

Renee Allen, Crime Prevention Specialist
Minneapolis Police Department, First Precinct
renee.allen@minneapolismn.gov
(612) 673-5163