Dear Neighbors,
This weekend in St. Paul, the Minnesota State Capitol’s Grand Opening celebration is taking place, commemorating the stunning restoration of “the People’s House.” If it’s been a while since you’ve visited the Capitol, you will be blown away by the results of the nearly four-year restoration project, bringing the building to a pristine condition not seen since its opening in 1905. Artwork has been retouched with superb attention to detail, space available to the public has about doubled, heating and cooling systems have been modernized, technology has been upgraded to the 21st century, and accessibility has been improved so all Minnesotans can enjoy the Capitol.
The celebration started today and goes through Sunday. There will be plenty of activities for the whole family, including free concerts, a fireworks spectacular Saturday evening, behind the scenes tours every half hour, a Prince Dance Party, a Kid Zone, musical and dance performances from a variety of cultures, and much more. With the exception of the Cap Untapped craft beer tasting tomorrow (tickets for which are available here), all of the events are absolutely free to attend. Plenty of free parking is available, and bus and light rail rides on Metro Transit are free as well.
A full schedule of events as well as more information about the celebration can be found here. Be sure to follow along on social media all weekend using the hashtag #mymncapitol.
I-94 East Ramp Closure
You may have heard that starting Sunday night, the ramp from I-394 to I-94 eastbound in Minneapolis will close for about two weeks. Traffic will be detoured to southbound Highway 100, to eastbound Highway 62, to northbound I-35W, and on to eastbound I-94. This closure is a part of MnDOT’s long-term I-94 reconstruction project, but to be sure, this will certainly cause some headaches. More information about the project can be found here, and if you have any questions, you can feel free to contact David Aeikens, MnDOT’s Communications and Engagement point person for the project, at david.aeikens@state.mn.us or 651-234-7511. Feel free to communicate any concerns to me as well.
I hope you and your family are having a great summer. Please keep in touch with me; don’t hesitate to call or email anytime. It’s an honor to represent you at the Capitol.
Peggy