Updates

  • July 14, 2026

    This community-created watercolor illustrates the historic natural features of the Bridal Veil subwatershed which drains into the Mississippi River. Created during the Earth Week Water Party held at Malcolm Yards in April 2025, the artwork illuminates the waterways that shaped this landscape before they disappeared underground because of urban development.

    Community participants worked with Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) Artist in Residence Sarah Nassif to watercolor features she identified through historical research, including Kasota Wetlands, Bridal Veil Creek and Falls, and the lake that once occupied the area now known as Langford Park. Today, water flows through a built environment of streets, stormwater pipes, and the innovative storm sewer infrastructure Towerside is known for. By painting its historic contours and waterways, participants explored how water continues to connect neighborhoods, ecosystems, and communities.

  • July 09, 2026

    Thank you to all who came out for our annual meeting! You can find the slideshow detailing what was discussed, including project updates and community survey statistics, at the link below.

    Annual Meeting Slide Deck - 07/09/2026 

  • June 17, 2026

    Come to the 2026 Towerside Innovation District Annual Meeting!


    When: Thursday, July 9th from 8:00-9:30am


    Where: 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Court Building, 2550 University Ave W, Saint Paul 55114


    Free breakfast included!


    Agenda will be sent out to guests who RSVP prior to the meeting. Send RSVPs to staff@towersidemsp.org

  • June 10, 2026

    Kim Havey named Executive Director 

    We’re thrilled to welcome Kim W. Havey (he/him/his) as the new Executive Director of Towerside Innovation District. Kim brings more than 20 years of experience in sustainability, renewable energy, climate policy, and equitable urban development, and we are excited to celebrate the leadership, vision, and dedication he brings to Towerside as we look ahead to an inspiring new chapter.

  • April 26, 2024

    Towerside adopted an Equity Framework that will serve as the foundation for delivering diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes within the organization, through our work, and as an influencer among our partners and peers.

  • December 16, 2021

    UMN Masters of Urban and Regional Planning students held a community exhibit today to showcase 10 land use planning projects focused on reconsidering the notion of an innovation district.

  • September 30, 2020

    Green 4th Street Enhancements Completed

  • June 30, 2020

    Metropolitan Council awards $100,000 grant for District Stormwater Phase II

Blog

Welcome Our New Executive Director - Kim Havey

June 10, 2026

Most recently, Kim served as Director of Sustainability for the City of Minneapolis, where he led the development of the City’s 10-year Climate Equity Plan and helped advance policies and programs focused on racial and environmental justice, including the designation of Green Zones. Before joining the City in 2018, he worked at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, where he helped expand access to solar energy and supported more than 4,000 solar installations, resulting in 60 MW of distributed solar. Throughout his career, Kim has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to building healthier, more resilient, and more equitable communities—work that will be a tremendous asset to Towerside and the broader community it serves.

A little more about Kim:

Kim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate and Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute. 

Community leadership:


Kim’s leadership experience includes serving as Chair of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and as a White House appointee to the Environmental Justice Advisory Council under President Joe Biden. He has also contributed his time and expertise to organizations including, the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, Minneapolis Homegrown Food Council and the Green Cities Accord, the U.S. Green Building Council, the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). We’re proud to welcome someone with such a deep record of service, collaboration, and impact to the Towerside team.