Minnesota has picked a nearly 57-acre site for a $1 billion horticulture world’s fair expected to draw millions; after the six-month Expo ends, the land is planned to become a permanent mixed-use district
Minnesota has selected Lakeville as the planned host city for Expo 2031, a six-month international exhibition focused on horticulture. According to Minnesota Star Tribune, organisers have signed a purchase agreement for nearly 57 acres of land near Interstate 35 and County Road 70, with the event expected to attract millions of visitors.The Expo is scheduled to run from May to October 2031. It would be the first A1 International Horticultural Exhibition to be held in the United States. These exhibitions bring together international pavilions, gardens and programmes focused on horticulture and related themes.The event is being planned on a much larger scale than the 57-acre parcel already secured. Wendy Meadley, CEO and board chair of Expo 2031, said the remaining land needed for the project would be acquired through methods including leasing. The total area involved is expected to be about 180 acres.
Expo around horticulture and ‘Human/Nature’
Expo 2031 is being planned around the theme “Human/Nature”. The exhibition is expected to include international and national pavilions, gardens and other visitor attractions.Plans for the Lakeville site currently include a 200-room hotel, a 1,300-space parking structure, an Expo Hall and a community welcome centre. The site is also planned to have a media studio and a 1,500-person amphitheatre.Another proposed feature is a “secret garden” that could also be used as a wedding venue. The plans include a USA Pavilion with what organisers described as “Bellagio-style” fountains.Meadley told KARE 11 that organisers are planning for between 4 million and 6 million visitors during the six-month event. The organisers have said the event would bring millions of people to the southern suburbs and increase activity for local businesses.“We have a project that has moved from vision to development,” Meadley said during a presentation to the Lakeville City Council on September 21.The site is currently vacant land. It is owned by the United Christian Academy Foundation, which has agreed to sell the nearly 57-acre parcel to Expo 2031, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Organisers expect development to continue
The plans for Expo 2031 go beyond the six-month exhibition. Organisers want parts of the development to remain after the event and become a longer-term site.The planned USA Pavilion is a major part of that approach. Meadley said the project needed a substantial legacy feature that would continue to exist after the Expo rather than being built only for the event. “It’s about a billion-dollar project,” Meadley told the Lakeville City Council.
Aerial view of Lakeville, a suburb of the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
The current budget is just under $1 billion, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. KARE 11 reported that the figure is more than twice the estimate given when Dakota County was pitching to host the event in 2024.Meadley said the higher figure includes the economics around the USA Pavilion, which organisers consider the project’s main legacy feature. “If you look at the Eiffel Tower or the Seattle Needle (other World’s Fair legacy projects) what we believed was a tower or an edifice of that type wasn’t enough,” Meadley said. “We believe there had to be something much more robust that would live on in the future.”
Lakeville residents question project
The proposed Expo has also brought questions from people living and working near the site, particularly about its cost, traffic and whether the project will be completed.Dan Mullin, who owns an auto repair shop across a gravel road from the undeveloped land, said he had heard rumours about the Expo for months before the plans were confirmed.Mullin said he was encouraged by the renderings showing how the site could be transformed. However, he remains cautious because he has seen previous plans for the land that did not move ahead.“A couple of times a summer, it seems like there’s a whole group of people that are up there doing those (photos) where they’re all taking a scoop of dirt and throwing it and then nothing happens,” Mullin said. “I think it’s fifty-fifty that they’re gonna be able to pull it off.” He also questioned the project’s price and timeline.
Traffic and public outreach
With millions of visitors expected over six months, managing traffic and the effect on daily life in Lakeville is another part of the planning.Meadley said organisers want visitors to arrive steadily throughout the six-month Expo rather than creating concentrated pressure on local infrastructure. Shuttle buses and other measures are being considered to help manage congestion.“We know that if people can’t move around regular and have regular everyday life during those six months of expo, we’re going to have really displeased residents of the greater metro area,” she said.Mullin said he still has questions about the project but is willing to hear more about the plans. “We don’t really know if it’s good or bad yet, I feel like it probably would be good for us,” he said.Lakeville is planning public open houses with Expo organisers so residents can ask questions about the project. The first is scheduled at City Hall on October 21 from 4pm to 7pm.
