By Cristof Traudes

The District 3 race, which will decide who represents much of the city’s riverfront, features two candidates who live on the same side of the Mississippi. One, however, lives Downtown. The other lives down the river.

Incumbent Commissioner Scott Vreeland is the down-river, Seward resident. He is a passionate representative of the river and West River Parkway, as well as the environment.

He has been an active voice in the fight to keep the Park Board from losing its position on the Board of Estimate and Taxation. He argued at several meetings earlier this year for retaining that board as is, and he proposed adding a seventh member so that city representatives wouldn’t make up half of the board’s membership.

Challenger Mike Wendorf is a visible member of Downtown’s real estate scene. He is vice president of the Sherman Group, which specializes in renovating historic Downtown buildings. He is an active runner and tennis player, and his home overlooks St. Anthony Falls.

He has management skills he says will help with the Park Board’s financial situation. The Riverwest Condominium Association, of which he is president, has a $1.5 million budget.

District 3 covers much of Downtown, as well as South Minneapolis between Interstate 35W and the Mississippi River north of about 35th Street.

Scott Vreeland
Occupation: Park Board commissioner
Neighborhood: Seward
Experience: one term, Park Board; chairman, Park Board’s finance committee; NRP Policy Board; co-chairman, Minneapolis Riverfront Corporation
Website: scottvreeland.org
Phone: 721-7892
E-mail: svattheriver@aol.com

Mike Wendorf
Occupation: vice president, Sherman Group
Neighborhood: Downtown West
Experience: president, Riverwest Condominium Association; real estate development, specializing in renovating historic Downtown buildings
Website: wendorfforparks.com
Phone: 340-0509, ext. 11
E-mail: wendorfforparks@me.com