Neighborhood news - June 1

LAND BANK appoints new executive director
Land Bank Twin Cities, a nonprofit organization that works to break barriers to equitable real estate development and provide investment opportunities for underserved communities across the Twin Cities, has appointed Thomas Streitz as the Interim Executive Director. Streitz was one of the original founders of Land Bank Twin Cities more than 13 years ago and most recently served as its Board Chair. Streitz’s appointment follows the retirement of Sandy Oakes, who served as President of Land Bank Twin Cities for 10 years. Streitz resides in southwest Minneapolis.

SMETANA JOINS LYNDALE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP
Sami Smetana is thrilled to be joining the Lyndale Neighborhood Association as Executive Director. Originally from western Wisconsin, Smetana moved to Minnesota in 2016. A resident of South Minneapolis herself, Smetana is incredibly excited to engage with and support the Lyndale community to continue to shape the neighborhood to be safe, vibrant, and sustainable. In her free time, you will likely find Smetana with her family exploring the wonderful parks throughout Minneapolis or gardening in her backyard.

BID FAREWELL TO SARAH AT KINGFIELD
Bid farewell and thank longtime Kingfield Neighborhood Association Executive Director Sarah Linnes-Robinson on Monday June 5 at Tap Society, 6:30-9 p.m. Linnes-Robinson also recently worked as the Lyndale Neighborhood Group Interim Executive Director.

WORK AT PAINTER PARK
Construction on improvements at Painter Park begins this July. The improvements include: Relocated and reconstructed tennis court includes striping for two pickleball courts using portable nets; relocated and reconstructed full basketball court with additional shoot-around hoop area; and new street-style skatepark with incorporated transition-style features.

MINNEAPOLIS BACK TO 3RD BEST PARK
Trust for Public Land has announced that Saint Paul repeated its second-place finish on the annual ParkScore index. Minneapolis climbed to third, two spots ahead of 2022’s fifth place ranking. Minneapolis’ rise was based largely on improvements to park amenities. Both cities finished just behind defending ParkScore champion Washington, DC, which retains the ParkScore Title for the third consecutive year. The ParkScore index evaluates park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities.