Community Performing Arts Center
Upper Harbor Amphitheater
About the project
The Community Performing Arts Center (CPAC), an 8,000-capacity concert venue operated by the Port of Minneapolis, LLC—a joint venture between First Avenue and the Minnesota Orchestra—will host around 50 ticketed events annually. A portion of the ticket proceeds will be reinvested directly into the local community through a partnership with the African American Community Development Corporation, which will serve as the fund manager for CPAC. The Community Entity will manage the fund to explore and develop community programming, local vendor and entrepreneur opportunities, and a youth jobs and career program. The amphitheater is part of the Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment, a 48-acre riverfront site off Dowling Ave. N and I-94, currently being redeveloped by the City in partnership with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board and a group of local developers.
Project Milestones
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Fall 2025, anticipated groundbreaking (date to be confirmed)
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On July 24, the full Minneapolis City Council approved the project. Read Press Release
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On July 15, the City Council’s Business, Housing and Zoning Committee approved a proposed conveyance of property. Watch the committee meeting.
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On June 26, the City Council’s Climate and Infrastructure Committee approved an amendment related to amplified sound.
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On June 18, the Minneapolis City Council accepted a $12.5 million bond-funded grant from the State of Minnesota that will be used for the amphitheater.
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In Summer 2025, the Minnesota Orchestra secured the necessary private fundraising support to advance the project.
Recent Media
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Minneapolis inks deal for 8,000-seat First Avenue concert venue along Mississippi River | The Minnesota Star Tribune
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Riverfront amphitheater in north Minneapolis clears final hurdles | WCCO
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Frey finalizes deal to build amphitheater in north Minneapolis | KSTP
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Plans for 8,000-seat outdoor concert venue in Minneapolis move forward | MPR News
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North Minneapolis music venue project moves forward | KARE 11
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Plans for new north Minneapolis amphitheater excited metro area residents | KARE 11
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North Minneapolis seeks approval for multimillion dollar amphitheater | KARE 11
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Minneapolis gets $12M grant for outdoor concert venue along Mississippi River | KSTP
We are honored to be a part of such an incredible project and look forward to building a world-class, inviting, boutique urban amphitheater on the Mississippi riverfront. Thank you to the state of Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis, our partners at the Minnesota Orchestra and AACDC, and the hundreds of Northside community members who contributed ideas to make this project truly special. We are thrilled to be moving forward and building a cherished community asset to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Dayna Frank, President and CEO, First Avenue Productions
The Community Performing Arts Center is a generational investment. Not only does it bring jobs and tourism to the community, with our partners at First Avenue and the Minnesota Orchestra committed to reinvesting revenue back into North Minneapolis, it brings real change.
Mayor Jacob Frey, City of Minneapolis
We are grateful to the Mayor and City of Minneapolis for their support and to the coalition of generous funders who rallied together to make this vision a reality. These private individuals were drawn to support the project because of a shared belief in the important role music, the Orchestra and the arts can play in strengthening our City, and we now look forward to seeing this come to life along the riverfront for audiences for decades to come.
Nancy Lindahl, Minnesota Orchestra Board Chair
This project creates real jobs, builds community wealth, and opens doors for residents who have historically been left out of major economic opportunities. I am proud to help bring this vision to life and ensure that Northside families benefit from every phase of this project.
LaTrisha Vetaw, Minneapolis City Council, Ward 4
I’ve been a Twin Cities person for the last 40 years and I have not yet seen a scalable opportunity for a community as this presents here today. I have been involved in youth development work, economic development work, public/private partnerships, and the like. I do feel that this comprehensive, coordinated plan points in the right direction in all activities.
Keith Baker, African American Community Development Corporation (AACDC)
I am incredibly excited about this initiative. It provides a lot of creative outlets and performances for the neighborhood…This Upper Harbor Terminal initiative is just remarkable. Not only is it going to change the landscape, but it also means that the generations coming up will have the opportunity to perform.
Peyton Scott Russell, Founder/Director/Artist, Sprayfinger
I think this might be a blueprint for equitable community-rooted revitalization [...] That proximity makes it real and that’s huge. The fact that it’s close, the fact that it’s there in the community is transformational.
Michael Cain, VP of Music Education, MacPhail Center for Music
Through this partnership the CPAC will infuse a half-a-million dollars annually into the Northside community…Additionally the CPAC will generate annual sales and income tax revenues further deepening the community impact.
Ivan Winship, Chief Financial Officer, Minnesota Orchestra