Under the Brim: Transparency Around the Witch’s Hat Water Tower
The Witch’s Hat Water Tower is a treasured landmark in our community and I believe our community deserves transparency about its future. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case. On September 26th, Council Member Wonsley released a newsletter update about the Witch’s Hat, misrepresenting the scope and feasibility of the allocated funds based on the 2023 KLJ site assessment report.
The Witch’s Hat Tower was most recently open to the public in 2019, when visitors had to evacuate the building after “a step in the narrow steel staircase coiling up to the observation deck broke beneath visitors’ feet,” said Susan Larson-Fleming, former archivist at the Hennepin History Museum, in an interview with the Star Tribune (Du, 2023). The beloved landmark has been closed since 2020, as it requires significant work due to its age, historical status, and observed issues: concrete spalling, rebar corrosion, staircase deterioration and misalignment, inadequate ventilation, outdated electrical systems, and minimal fire protection.
The KLJ engineering report outlines three clear options for the tower:
Option 1 (Status Quo): Keep the tower decommissioned with basic maintenance repairs estimated at $50,000. This would not allow any public access.
Option 2 (General Public Access): Full retrofit for events like weddings or broader public use, including code compliance for structure, HVAC, ADA, egress, fire safety, and electrical. Estimated cost: $1.3 million, involving an architect, engineers, and contractors. This is the scale needed for safe, regular openings to “thousands of residents.”
Option 3 (Limited Public Access): A hybrid for restricted access only, with reduced upgrades after negotiations with building officials and the Minnesota Historical Society. These upgrades include interactive exhibits instead of full ADA compliance and have an estimated cost of $350,000: $50,000 for initial repairs, $100,000 for an architect to design the limited scope, and $200,000 for a contractor to implement it.
The $350,000 allocated in 2023 aligns exactly with Option 3, the limited public access option—not the full rehabilitation for general public enjoyment the council member describes. This funding covers a preliminary design phase led by an architect, limited repairs, and scaled-back construction, but it explicitly avoids major changes to preserve the tower’s historic integrity. It does not support reopening for large crowds or events anytime soon, as it may still trigger complex code reviews and could face hidden challenges from the 1913 structure’s unknown design parameters.
Since January 2024, Property Services has struggled to even solicit bids, indicating the process hasn’t advanced beyond planning. Council Member Wonsley even highlights this in her newsletter, stating “This week, my office received an update that Property Services made a second attempt at soliciting bids for contractors and did not receive any bidders.” Promoting an opening in 2026 is unrealistic and deceptive, given the KLJ report’s emphasis on risks, the need for specialized consultants, and potential delays from historical preservation requirements. If the goal is true public access, we need to fund and pursue Option 2 properly, not underfund a limited plan while overpromising results.
As your council member, I will prioritize honest assessments and adequate funding to safely reopen this landmark for all, without misleading timelines. Our community deserves accountability and a real plan, which is what I will bring to the office.
Together, let’s choose Minneapolis.
Shelley
Du, S. (2023, September 3). Repairing and reopening Minneapolis’ Witch’s Hat Tower could cost at least $350,000. Star Tribune. https://www.startribune.com/repairing-and-reopening-minneapolis-witchs-hat-tower-could-cost-at-least-350000-prospect-park/600301819
Ward 2 updates: Witch’s Hat Repairs. City of Minneapolis. (2025, September 26). https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MPLS-3f48fa0?wgt_ref=MPLS_WIDGET_64#link_10