From Rails to Roots: The Midtown Greenway
In the early 1990s, the corridor that is now the Midtown Greenway was far from the vibrant urban oasis we know today. Running through South Minneapolis, the Greenway stretches 5.5 miles from the Chain of Lakes to the Mississippi River, following a former railroad trench below street level. It was a “railroad graveyard,” littered with debris, graffiti, and overgrown trees that doubled as hazard signs. The team at Hennepin County described it starkly: “Urban decay and crime had begun to set in, and the corridor was contributing to disinvestment, lower land values, and blight in nearby neighborhoods.” After several years of dedicated clean-up efforts from multiple entities, the trail opened to the public in 2006. This year, as the Midtown Greenway celebrates 25 years, Tree Trust reflects fondly on how this transformation embodies our mission.
A Brief History
To truly appreciate the immense effort behind transforming a former railroad into today’s beloved community trail, it helps to know a bit of its history. Ever wondered why much of the Midtown Greenway runs below street level? You’re not alone. Local writer Brian Mitchell (Streets.mn) wondered the same. His research into the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad—often called the Milwaukee Road—which once occupied the Greenway’s path, revealed a 19th-century traffic nightmare at its Hennepin Avenue crossing.
In the 1890s, Hennepin Avenue was a bustling hub of horses, carriages, bicycles, and streetcars. Add steam engine locomotives to the mix and the result was a recipe for disaster. After a streetcar collided with a train, along with countless other close calls, people demanded safer street crossings. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The result: the railroad tracks were pushed below grade. Between 1912 and 1916, the railroad company carved a trench nearly 22 feet deep and nearly 2.5 miles long, creating the sunken corridor we know today. However, when the trains discontinued service in the 1990s the trench became a literal dumping ground.
The Early Years: 1990 – 2001
Enter a group of forward-thinking residents with a greener vision…and Tree Trust, ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. From early planning meetings to the launch of the Midtown Greenway Coalition (a nonprofit dedicated to caring for this space), Tree Trust was there every step of the way.
While everyone had a vision for converting the space into something that would benefit the community, a car-free commuter trail was not the first option. In 1999, the Minnesota Legislature allocated funding to the Metropolitan Council, our regional governing body, for the construction of a busway in the Twin Cities. The Midtown Greenway Corridor was chosen.
However, the Midtown Greenway Coalition Board of Directors passed a resolution opposing the busway and calling for a light rail or streetcar line instead. Following two separate streetcar feasibility studies conducted in 2000, the idea of streetcars was also shelved. Instead, a proposal for bike and pedestrian trails was accepted, and preparation progressed full speed ahead.
In partnership with the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), Hennepin County, and other dedicated partners, Tree Trust started the work of removing trash, debris and other hazardous material from the site. Current Tree Trust volunteer and former Executive Director Norm Champ reflected on our early days of transforming the Midtown Greenway. “We wanted to have real work that served the community. The Greenway was perfect.” In partnership with Hennepin County, Tree Trust employed adult residents facing employment barriers to tackle the massive cleanup effort. As Champ recalls, “It was just a trash heap with football field–sized piles of debris.”
Much like our Career Pathways programming today, this early initiative provided meaningful work for people to help improve their community and lay the groundwork for a greener, more welcoming community space.
Greening: 2001 – 2019
In April 2001, Tree Trust celebrated Arbor Day with the first of many community tree planting events along the Midtown Greenway. Partnering with the Midtown Greenway Coalition, Midtown Community Works, and dedicated volunteers, we planted 52 trees along the stretch between Pleasant Avenue and Blaisdell Avenue South. That day marked the beginning of a tradition that would grow for decades to come.
Since the Midtown Greenway opened to the public in 2006, nearly every tree rooted along its path has been planted by Tree Trust staff and volunteers. Today, more than 5,000 trees and shrubs flourish here, cared for by Career Pathways trainees, Tree Trust staff, and a community committed to stewardship. What was once a corridor of gray concrete has become a living landscape of art, greenery, and connection. The Midtown Greenway’s transformation is both a celebration of what’s been accomplished and an inspiration for what’s possible when people come together—tree by tree, year after year—to create lasting change.
For Tree Trust’s Director of Community Forestry Karen Zumach, one planting captures the heart of the Midtown Greenway’s story: the power of trees to transform a landscape.
The Hiawatha Site
The stretch of trail along 26th Street and Hiawatha Avenue was a former railroad roundhouse—a semi-circular building, historically used to house, service, and turn steam locomotives, often featuring a central turntable to allow for directional changes. In 2006, Tree Trust collaborated with a landscape architect to develop a planting plan commemorating the former roundhouse. Two years later, on Arbor Day 2008, the space had been prepared, and the plan was ready to implement. This planting event was the first facilitated by Zumach and it was ambitious: 300 trees, 100 volunteers, and the challenge of unpredictable weather.
In true Minnesota spring fashion, the weather did its own thing. Before the event, after days of steady rain, the skies opened to snow. Volunteers pressed on through biting wind, swirling snowflakes, and frost-tipped gloves and boots, planting tree after tree into the cold ground. By the end of the day, a patchwork of young trees stood tall. A quiet but powerful reminder of what community, dedication, and a whole lot of comitted volunteers can achieve.
“Honestly, this was one of the proudest moments of my life,” said Zumach. “We took a desolate, and I mean truly desolate, site at 26th Street and Hiawatha by the Sabo Bridge and transformed it into a vibrant green oasis in the heart of the concrete jungle. This wasn’t just any plot of land. It used to be a railroad roundhouse, and the landscape architect we collaborated with designed the site to honor that history. The curved arc at the center? The most challenging layout I’ve ever tackled. We hauled in 60 dump trucks of compost and soil to remediate the site’s tough conditions. It was a wild, intense, and utterly rewarding process, and seeing it all come together was unforgettable.”
Best Moments Planting
Tree Trust continued to plant and maintain trees along the Greenway for the next two decades. The best moments planting trees along the Midtown Greenway quickly became some of our team’s favorite memories. One Saturday, musician Jason Mraz joined volunteers before a show at the Target Center, arriving with a jar of chlorophyll water, which he swore helped keep his voice smooth. (Apparently, green drinks aren’t just for trees!) Another year, volunteers tucked written wishes into the roots of their trees for the documentary Plant a Wish. Zumach’s own wish came true nine months later with the birth of her daughter, Sylvia.
“There are too many memorable moments to count,” Zumach reflects. “Countless volunteers from Wells Fargo, Ryan Companies, Lake Street Council, Surly Brewing, and so many others have poured hours into the Greenway, which has also served as a learning lab for Career Pathways participants and young adult crews. With ongoing care from Tree Trust’s teams, the Midtown Greenway truly showcases our ability to create lasting, positive change. I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of it.”
Cleaning and Greening
With the dedication of corporate teams, community partners, and neighbors wielding shovels and spirit, the Midtown Greenway has blossomed into more than just a trail—it’s a living testament to what people and trees can achieve together. Midtown Greenway Coalition Executive Director Soren Jensen celebrates the transformation: “With Tree Trust’s help, the Midtown Greenway has become a green urban oasis, filled not only with new trees and shrubs, but with wildlife, including bees, monarchs, and other pollinators. This helps bring even more people to the corridor to enjoy the public green space.”
Recently, volunteers helped the Midtown Greenway Coalition plant 15 pollinator gardens along the bike path, supporting endangered species like monarch butterflies and Minnesota’s rusty patched bumblebee. Our Branches crews are now caring for these new vital pollinator habitats.
Workforce Training
The Midtown Greenway also serves as a hands-on training ground for the next generation of skilled workers. Youth and young adults gain real-world experience in construction, tree care, and landscaping. They earn a wage as they learn everything from safely removing hazardous trees and managing invasive species to repairing infrastructure. Our Branches trainees work closely with expert trainers, mastering the safe felling and removal of dead and diseased trees. They also help maintain the space through lawn care and other landscaping duties.
This year, our Summer Youth Employment Program trainees constructed a new fence to replace one that had aged out of use. For the participants, this was more than a summer job. It was an opportunity to transform their community. They had frequent visits from neighbors who thanked them for their hard work and dedication. One resident shared: “It’s been awesome to watch their progress. The team has been doing a fantastic job putting up a beautiful new fence and really improving the look of the area… They’ve been respectful, hardworking, and dedicated—even out in the heat. Projects like this make a big difference, and I’m so glad to see it happening in our neighborhood.”
The Power of Partnerships
“The path to the Midtown Greenway is a story of urban revitalization through partnerships,” said Peter McLaughlin, District 4 Hennepin County Commissioner. “It took a lot of people, agencies, businesses, and neighborhoods coming together to do something truly transformative in this corridor. Visiting the Midtown Greenway today, it’s clear the transformation has been profound and that it is continuing. It’s one of the great success stories of the Twin Cities region in recent decades.”
That transformation is more than history—it’s the heartbeat of Tree Trust’s mission: planting trees, growing community, and proving that when people come together, they can transform the landscape—and their own lives—forever.
As Zumach reflects, “If you plant a tree, it will grow and transform the space around it as well as the people.”
You can be a part of Tree Trust’s mission to transform lives and landscapes! Donate today to support our Career Pathways and Community Forestry Programs.
