The Veterans Memorial Greenway (formerly Rich Valley Greenway) is a proposed greenway corridor linking Lebanon Hills Regional Park and the Mississippi River in central Dakota County. The 5-mile corridor stretches east and west within Eagan and Inver Grove Heights, connecting single-family residential neighborhoods, parks, and rural and undeveloped open space.
In 2020, the board approved renaming the Rich Valley Greenway as the Veterans Memorial Greenway and developing an Interpretive Memorial Plan to honor veterans' service to and sacrifices for our country. The board has also authorized development of design and engineering plans that will bring the greenway to the next step of construction.
Interpretive Memorial Plan
A draft Interpretive Memorial Plan has been developed with the generous assistance of veterans throughout 2021. The draft plan identifies locations, storylines and design concepts for 10 memorials along the greenway. The major storylines are grouped as:
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Who Veterans Are: From all backgrounds and walks of life
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Service Experiences: Basic training, deployment around the world, and leaving service
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Turning Points: Major life-changing events
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Military Places: Ordnance plants, shipyards, military roads and training bases in the county.
Please send your comments on the draft plan to
planning@co.dakota.mn.us.
Interpretive Memorial Plan - Draft
Master plan
The approved 2017 master plan:
- Identifies a greenway alignment
- Improves water quality, habitat, recreation, and non-motorized transportation along the corridor
- Provides for interpretation, resource stewardship, development, land acquisition, and operations
- Estimates project costs
Veterans Memorial Greenway Master Plan
A 2020 preliminary engineering study evaluated corridor challenges and developed potential alternatives to address these challenges.
Veterans Memorial Greenway Preliminary Engineering Study