Following a community engagement initiative, which received feedback from more than 3,500 community members, the "Animal Parade" public art sculptures have recently been installed at the entrance of the Hilde Performance Center, 3500 Plymouth Blvd.

Visitors of the area may enjoy these five giant animal-shaped geometric figures:

• Koda, a 6-foot grey howling wolf
• Sindri, a 4-foot teal squirrel
• Freya, a 3-foot pink fox
• Percy, a 10-foot orange buck
• Edie, a 10-foot soaring purple owl on a concrete pillar

A collection by artist Kirk Seese, the animal parade was commissioned in partnership with the Plymouth Arts Council. The collection is designed to foster a community gathering space that offers photo opportunities outside the Hilde entrance.

Each animal was named by Seese and is painted purple, teal, orange, pink or grey from the branding palette for Hello! Plymouth, the city’s destination marketing organization tasked with attracting visitors to Plymouth.

Each animal was named by Seese and will be painted purple, teal, orange, pink or grey from the branding palette for Hello! Plymouth, the city’s destination marketing organization tasked with attracting visitors to Plymouth.

To help guide future development and ensure cohesiveness, city staff worked with a consultant to update design standards that illustrate the goals, ideas and desired future outcomes of City Center (see sample sketches below). View the Design Standards (PDF). 

Allowing for Residential Development

Plymouth City Council updated the zoning ordinance in September 2023 to allow for residential development in City Center (apartment, townhome or mixed-use), to bring more people to the area.

The spine of Plymouth City Center, Plymouth Boulevard was redesigned in 2024.

The project includes improved crossings for pedestrian safety, roundabouts to slow traffic and trail connectivity. These improvements will help create spaces for public art and food trucks, install a newly designed entrance and signage for the Hilde Performance Center, seating and gathering areas along Plymouth Boulevard, a plaza, and more.

View the project webpage for details.

Videos: New Designs for Plymouth Boulevard and Hilde Entrance

The virtual flythrough videos below show renderings of the proposed improvements to Plymouth Boulevard, as well as a redesigned entrance to the Hilde Performance Center.

Plymouth City Center remains one of the city’s top legislative priorities. City leaders have been working with state lawmakers to advocate for infrastructure improvements that would help pave the way for vibrant redevelopment – bringing more restaurants, retail and foot traffic to the heart of the city.

Plymouth City Center Bonding Request

The City of Plymouth requests $26 million in state bond funds to revitalize the heart of the city – Plymouth City Center. Regional facilities draw thousands of visitors to Plymouth City Center for hockey, major concerts and other events. Funding for public infrastructure is needed to cultivate a vibrant and welcoming downtown.

Bond funds will help create community gathering spaces, strengthen mobility and transit connectivity, allow for BRT, bolster environmental sustainability, provide public parking, support housing opportunities (including affordable housing), and contribute to the success of restaurants and businesses.

Proposed Plymouth City Center infrastructure improvements include:

• Regional Stormwater Ponding – Regional stormwater ponding will modernize stormwater infrastructure and offer redevelopment flexibility, allowing for increased density and mobility through new housing opportunities and bus rapid transit.
• Public Parking Ramp – Addition of a public parking ramp would help alleviate parking constraints, strengthen transit connectivity and pave the way for potential bus rapid transit on Highway 55.
• Regional Ice Center Expansion – The Plymouth Ice Center continues to draw thousands of visitors to Plymouth City Center each year. A fourth sheet of ice would help accommodate demand for ice time and support national tournaments.
• Roadway Realignment – To meet demand for ice time at the Plymouth Ice Center, a roadway realignment and relocation of utilities near the facility is necessary to create space for a fourth sheet of ice and allow for facility expansion.

Resources to Support Regional Use of Plymouth's Infrastructure

With regional facilities that draw thousands of visitors, Plymouth City Center serves people well beyond city limits. Concerts at the Hilde Performance Center draw 50,000 attendees annually from across Minnesota. Home to the second largest youth hockey association in the state and a host for national tournaments, the Plymouth Ice Center continues to remain in high demand – hosting about 600,000 visitors annually. Funding would help cultivate a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly downtown – benefiting all who come to City Center to work, play, live, shop and eat.

The City of Plymouth continues to advocate for funding and resources to support regional use of Plymouth's infrastructure and help mitigate the financial impact on Plymouth residents/taxpayers.

To view more information about the city's legislative advocacy efforts and strategic priorities, visit plymouthmn.gov/goals.

City Center 2.0: A Renewed Vision for Plymouth's Central Corridor 

In 2019, the Plymouth City Council adopted a goal to explore options for continued development and redevelopment of Plymouth's City Center. While citywide redevelopment and development are listed among City Council goals, the council added a specific goal to focus on the city's central corridor.

Goals pertaining to City Center are:

• Consider Development and Redevelopment Requests. Continue to carefully consider land use related to development and redevelopment to ensure a well-planned community with a varied tax base. Build on Plymouth Proud business initiatives.
• Develop a Renewed Vision for City Center. Explore options for continued development and redevelopment of City Center. This would include place-making efforts, beautification and safety. Pursue public-private partnerships to bring additional community activities and uses to City Center.

Background about City Center

First introduced in 1996, City Center was designed to bring people together in a central location in Plymouth. The district contains about 140 acres and features wooded areas to the east and west, and wetlands east of and within City Center.

These goal of City Center is to create a commercial center surrounded by a natural environment with a mix of office, medical, retail, restaurant and government uses. Land ownership is divided among many individuals, with no single owner controlling a majority of the City Center area. City Center has an estimated market value of $106 million and 2019 estimated city taxes of $338,000. 

The vision of Plymouth’s City Center is for the area to be a blend of cultural, recreational, civic and entertainment uses that encourage interaction of the entire community. It was built around an infrastructure that provides goods and services for residents and that allows for casual meetings and organized community-wide events.

City Center Study Available

The City Center study details feedback gathered through the community engagement process, which began in early 2020, and recommendations for the project vision.

Additionally, the study includes resident and stakeholder preferences, public comments, survey results and more.

The City Center study and recommendations were presented to the Plymouth City Council, which gave staff direction to continue exploring potential action the city could take to facilitate the City Center vision, such as zoning and guidance amendments.

View the City Center Study (PDF)

---

Community Engagement Results

The City of Plymouth has gathered input and ideas about City Center through a variety of channels and has published a report detailing the community engagement results thus far.

• View the community engagement results (PDF)
• View the FlashVote survey results

Some of the avenues used to gather input from the community have included an interactive feedback map; a month-long survey that asked participants to give input about the types of activities that attract them to City Center, what other types of shopping and businesses they frequent and suggestions for improvements; and a 48-hour quick FlashVote survey that asked participants to give input about what activities and destinations attract them to City Center, best features of the area, what types of attractions they would most like added to City Center and more.