Loretto

2021 PARK IMPROVEMENTS

The city council recently approved improvements to three city parks:  Lions Park, Highlands Park and the Athletic Complex.

Lions Park

The shelter at the Lions Park has been in need of improvements for a while. 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 council meeting, plans and a quote were approved to make these improvements. The shelter will maintain 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 is $155,000. The city’s portion of the funding will come from Parks Capital funds that have 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 council meeting, the city council approved an agreement with Hennepin County for a $25,000 grant award for improvements to the Highlands Park playground. Once the equipment is ordered and a delivery estimate obtained, the city will schedule the installation. VOLUNTEERS will be needed to make this happen. If you’re interested in signing up, contact City Hall.

Athletic Complex

At the April 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 has already begun and includes the conversion of the Phil Tabery Field from a soccer field back to a baseball/softball field. Also included in Phase One is 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 is also included in Phase One. The estimated cost of the Phase One Improvements is $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) will be funded through Parks Capital funds previously set aside for other park projects.

Check out links to the approved MOA and donation agreement below.