The Bde Maka Ska Pavilion rebuilding project is nearing completion for its opening later this month.

The site’s boat launch reopened Friday, part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s project to rebuild the pavilion area on the Uptown-area lake.

Two new buildings, restrooms, outdoor public seating and even a small performance space are included in the project. Restrooms are expected to open in early August, said Robin Smothers, a spokesperson for the Park Board.

The new design replaces a historic lakeside structure, torn down in 2019 after a fire destroyed it.

The Bde Maka Ska-Harriet master plan approved in 2017 provided guidance for site improvements, according to the project’s website.

Cuningham Group designed the concept following months of public engagement. The project had been pitched to seven neighborhood organizations, and more than 500 people responded to an online survey.

The city learned from those contacts that the public wants the site to be more inclusive for everyone, not just restaurant patrons, with less congestion and more accessibility for pedestrians.

The plan also includes maximizing the pavilion’s connection with the lake and with green space, limiting man-made features while integrating native plants and fostering the tree canopy.

When the plan was approved, the rebuilding project was expected to cost $5.1 million.

In May 2022, Morcon Construction Inc. won the bid in the amount of $6.2 million for the Bde Maka Ska pavilion.

The updated construction cost is $6.5 million, and the total budget is $8 million, Smothers said in a written statement.

Insurance claims, the Metropolitan Council and park dedication fees account for about half the pavilion’s estimated cost.

Lola’s on the Lake, which was halfway into a five-year lease with the Park Board before the fire, operated food trucks at the site of the old pavilion before reconstruction began. Skateboarders, performers and picnickers frequented the site, too.

Staff writer Susan Du contributed to this report.