Panoway - Project Details

Panoway on Wayzata Bay will restore, protect and enhance a treasured asset for our community and broader region: Wayzata’s downtown lakefront. This multi-phase initiative addresses critical infrastructure needs on Lake Street and along the Lake Minnetonka shoreline. It will also strengthen the connection between downtown Wayzata and Lake Minnetonka, creating a unique and welcoming experience for residents and visitors.

Help us create a more connected, clean and welcoming Lakeshore in Wayzata.

Future Projects

Panoway future projects are being planned now through a public-private partnership between the City of Wayzata and the Wayzata Conservancy. They will be implemented as funding is secured. They include:

Hover over each number on the map and click to learn more.
Future Projects
  1. Community Docks
  2. Depot Park
  3. Shoreline Restoration
  4. Lakewalk
  5. Section Foreman House
  6. Eco Park
1Community Docks
2Depot Park
3Shoreline Restoration
4Lakewalk
5Section Foreman House
6Eco Park

 

Depot Park

Depot Park - The expanded and remodeled park surrounding the historic Wayzata Depot will feature a new restroom building and expanded gardens. Visitors will enjoy new lawns, decks, and terraces with seating, picnic tables and a community hearth.

Community Docks - Two new community docks will allow more residents and visitors to access Wayzata from Lake Minnetonka.

Boardwalk

Lakewalk - The new lakewalk will stretch approximately 1,500 lineal feet from the Historic Section Foreman House to the Depot. The lakewalk includes two lakeside overlook terraces, creating a beautiful way for the community to connect with the lake.

Shoreline Restoration - The growth of Wayzata and the popularity of the lakefront has taken a toll over the years, impacting water quality, plant and animal life, and the health and wellbeing of Lake Minnetonka. Shoreline restoration projects will reverse the contamination of Wayzata’s holding ponds by reintroducing native plants, trees and pollinator habitat and by restoring 2,000 lineal feet of lake edge.

Section Foreman House

Section Foreman House - Situated just a few yards o the lake, this historic home is one of the last of its kind still standing in Minnesota. Built by the Great Northern Railroad in 1902 as a residence for railroad foremen and their families, this historic home will be restored and repurposed into a new lakefront learning center, providing indoor and outdoor classroom and community space.

Eco Park

Eco Park - A new park surrounding the Section Foreman house will restore shoreline marsh and improve water quality. The park includes a pier extension of the lakewalk and opportunities to create “Living Eco-Classrooms” along the lakeshore for STEM based learning.

Completed Projects

Panoway Phase I was completed in the summer of 2020. This exciting new project includes:

Hover over each number on the map and click to learn more.
Completed Projects
  1. Streetscape and Sidewalk Improvements along Lake Street
  2. Fountain
  3. Plaza Park
  4. The Birch Grove
  5. Broadway Plaza

1Streetscape and Sidewalk Improvements along Lake Street
2Fountain
3Plaza Park
4The Birch Grove
5Broadway Plaza

 

Boardwalk

Streetscape and Sidewalk Improvements along Lake Street - A newly reconfigured Lake Street, from Broadway to Ferndale, is improving accessibility and creating a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and businesses. The project includes:

  • A two-way off-street bike lane on the Southside of the street, providing a seamless connection to the Dakota Rail Regional Trail
  • Expanded sidewalks on the north side of the street to enhance shopping and dining experiences
  • Dedicated turn lanes at the intersection of Barry and Lake Street, creating smoother trac flow while preserving on-street parking
  • spaces that supplement free public parking throughout downtown
  • Upgraded railroad crossings at Barry, Broadway, and Ferndale to greatly enhance safety and accessibility to the lake
  • Critical public works upgrades, including water main, storm sewer, and water treatment infrastructure improvements
Boardwalk

Fountain- A new fountain at the intersection of Lake and Walker features jets of water dancing from the ground, providing an opportunity for the young and young at heart to cool on hot summer days. The fountain is surrounded by a garden room where benches originally along the shoreline have been reinstalled.

Boardwalk

Plaza Park- Located on the lakeside across from Wayzata Marquee Place, the Plaza Park offers a variety of gathering spaces under a shade pavilion. Residents can sit around one of two community hearths, relax in adirondack chairs, dine at the picnic tables, and enjoy the scenery of the lake. The plaza is flanked on both sides by large lawns with stone benches and decorative planters.

Boardwalk

The Birch Grove- Just east of Broadway Plaza, the Birch Grove offers a place of quiet reflection, including a 9/11 memorial artifact that pays tribute to Gordy Aamoth, a Wayzata native who was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center.

Boardwalk

Broadway Plaza- Serving as the eastern gateway to the newly improved Lake Street, improvements to Broadway Plaza are enhancing the safety and enjoyment of the lakeside. Features include:

  • A new, fully-accessible restroom building on the west side of the plaza, including outdoor drinking fountains for public use
  • Strings of tivoli lights creating a soly lit canopy over a collection of terrace tables
  • An improved railroad crossing to safely connect the plaza to the community docks and a future lakewalk