Minneapolis park board approves plan to cut down historic Hiawatha Golf Course to 9 holes

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – After years of indecision, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has accredited a plan to chop down the historic Hiawatha Golf Course to 9 holes.

A brand new grasp plan for the course was accredited Wednesday evening on a 6 to three vote by the board. The plan was crafted to overtake the course after a significant flood in 2014. Since that point, the golf course has pumped tens of millions of gallons of groundwater into Hiawatha Lake, to the dismay of environmentalists.

On the opposite aspect of the difficulty, golfers have fought to save lots of the course, pushing again towards modifications to a course that holds a spot in Black historical past. Hiawatha was one of many first golf programs that allowed Black golfers to play in an period when that wasn’t allowed at most programs.

Wednesday’s assembly pitted Native American teams combating to guard the setting towards African American teams attempting to save lots of historical past.

“It’s not Lakota indigenous logic to go {golfing},” stated one speaker. “{Golfing} shouldn’t be an indigenous worth, {golfing} shouldn’t be an indigenous worth. And also you owe it, disgrace on anybody who desires to debate this, {golfing} shouldn’t be an indigenous worth, and we have now to guard the water.”

“It appears to me you’ve turned a water downside right into a race downside,” argued one other speaker. “Pitting Native Individuals towards African Individuals. I feel that is the unsuitable technique to go, it embarrasses me, it makes race relations in our neighborhood worse. I might say vote this down and begin once more and do one thing that’s affordable.”

Finally, the park board voted 6 to three in favor of lowering the course to 9 holes to try to deal with the issue of flooding. The board’s superintendent spoke briefly and seemed to be emotional about it.

“I totally acknowledge the vote to maneuver ahead, I additionally clearly hear the harm and ache,” added Superintendent Alfred Bangoura.

It’s meant to be a compromise, after months if not years of forwards and backwards on the difficulty, however it leaves loads of individuals sad.