Stahl completed the first phase of Panoway on Wayzata Bay, a public/private initiative focused on enhancing and preserving the City of Wayzata, Minnesota’s downtown lakefront.
The first phase included the reconstruction of Lake Street from Barry Avenue to Broadway Avenue to update infrastructure and incorporate more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly features. Enhancements also included replacing the surface lot with a new Plaza Park on the shore of Lake Minnetonka and an extension of Three Rivers Park District’s Dakota Rail Regional Trail into downtown Wayzata.
The project allows for improved pedestrian traffic by having narrowed Lake Street from three lanes to two lanes. The sidewalk on the north side of Lake Street was also widened to allow restaurants additional space for outdoor seating. One of the goals of the project was to not only restore the lakefront through pedestrian and roadway improvements, but to host community events and serve as the city’s front porch to Lake Minnetonka.
“This is the most ambitious and complex project the City of Wayzata has ever undertaken,” said Ken Willcox, Mayor of Wayzata. “Lake Minnetonka is Wayzata’s most important asset. This new lake front will allow future generations to experience it in an unhurried way and in all its restored grandeur.”
Throughout construction, Stahl worked with the local Lake Street business owners to ensure construction activities would not hinder everyday operations. Together, business owners and Stahl navigated the unforeseen circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lake Street and the Plaza Park were open to the public as planned on Sept. 11. Completion of restroom building façade and installation of catenary lighting will be completed by the end of the year, and a 9/11 memorial will be installed at one end of the plaza next year.
Pending state and private funding approvals, the City of Wayzata hopes to continue with phase two of Panoway on Wayzata Bay in 2021.