2021 Park Improvements
In 2021, the city council approved improvements to three city parks: Lions Park, Highlands Park and the Athletic Complex.
Lions Park
The shelter at the Lions Park had been in need of improvements for a while. In 2021, the city was looking at a minimum of $50,000 worth of improvements just to maintain the shelter in its current form or needing to tear down the building altogether. The Loretto Lions Club stepped forward and offered to donate $100,000 toward shelter improvements, if the city agreed to include some changes that would make the building more usable for their organization. These included a small indoor meeting area and a bathroom inside the building. At the April 2021 council meeting, plans and a quote were approved to make these improvements. The shelter maintained the current concrete footprint, with the outdoor shelter space being decreased and the indoor shelter space being increased. The overall estimated cost of the project was $155,000. The city’s portion of the funding came from Parks Capital funds that had been set aside for the project ($20,000) and an interfund loan from the Water Capital Fund.
Check out links to documents relating to the Lions Park Shelter Improvement Project below.
Highlands Park
At the May 2021 council meeting, the city council approved an agreement with Hennepin County for a $25,000 grant award for improvements to the Highlands Park playground. The improvements were completed with the help of volunteers.
Athletic Complex
At the April 2021 council meeting, the city council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) and a donation agreement with the Vortex Girls Fastpitch organization. The overall project includes three phases of improvements. Phase One included the conversion of the Phil Tabery Field from a soccer field back to a baseball/softball field. Also included in Phase One was the conversion of the dog park into an area for batting cages and pitching warmups. Dugout improvements and adding safety bases at all three fields was also included in Phase One. The estimated cost of the Phase One Improvements was $32,500. The Vortex organization, along with their partners, agreed to donate $12,000 cash and $6,800 in labor and materials. The city’s portion ($13,700) was funded through Parks Capital funds previously set aside for other park projects.
Check out links to the approved MOA and donation agreement below.