System Plan Vision & Long-Term Budget
The park system plan is the city's blueprint for future park improvements. The draft plan calls for unique amenities, more community gathering spaces, better incorporation of arts and nature, and park designs that offer something for everyone. To learn more about the draft park system plan, visit https://wspmn.gov/986/Parks-System-Plan. The draft system plan calls for a nature-themed playground, hillside sledding, gathering space, and better biking and walking access at Kennedy Park.
Early Concept Plans
The city hired landscape architects with HKGI to work with staff and the community to develop two early concept sketches. The community weighed-in on the concept alternatives, providing helpful insights. That feedback helped refine the preferred concept plan.
Preferred Concept Plan
Based on community input, the draft preferred concept plan combines elements from the two early concept plans. New trails connect the park's four entry points while adding an accessible pathway to the park's various elements. The playground is relocated to the park's center, where an adjacent picnic shelter provides shade and a space to sit. The playground uses the park's topography by incorporating two hillside slides. Nature-based elements provide a unique play setting, while traditional playground equipment provides places to climb, slide, and swing. Small pocket spaces add new opportunities for resting, art, history, play, and gathering. The design preserves the open lawn and sledding hill by locating major improvements on the park's edges. Approximately 40 new trees provide habitat and shade, while new pollinator prairie and low-grow pollinator lawn offer beauty and environmental benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't shade being addressed? Shade is a top priority. Currently, only a handful of trees exist within the parkland owned by the City of West St. Paul. Most of the park's shade comes from trees on private property adjacent to the park. Some of the park's trees are dead or dying due to Emerald Ash Borer and will need to be removed. The concept plan calls for the addition of about 40 new trees. To ensure the long-term viability of the tree canopy, we will plant multiple species.
Why move the playground? The existing playground is on top of a major stormwater pipe and on the border of West St. Paul and St. Paul. Relocating the pipe is cost-prohibitive. With the playground being one of the oldest in the system, we plan to build a new playground to ensure health and safety, and relocating the playground away from the pipe, removes the risk that the playground would have to be removed if work on the pipe were necessary.
What features will be included in the playground? The new playground will include a tower playground and natural play space. The tower structure will include climbing nets, slides, climbing wall, bridges, viewing platform, and games. Nearby will be a set of swings, including an accessible swing. Incorporating the park's topography, a new 8-foot slide will be built into the hill. Logs and boulders will give everyone a space to play in nature. Much of the playground will include 'poured-in-place' surfacing, the rubber surface common at newer playgrounds.
Will we still be able to sled? Absolutely. We heard that preserving sledding was a top priority. Plans place improvements on the edges of the park, which maintains space to sled.
Is a bathroom facility or drinking fountain likely? Unfortunately, the cost to build and maintain plumbed bathrooms and drinking fountains is exceptionally high and beyond our budget. A portable ADA-accessible bathroom will be added.
Are you seeking grant funding? Yes! We are always seeking additional funding. We were awarded a grant from AARP to help with engagement, park activation, and a new artist-designed bench. We are partnering with the St. Paul Parks Conservancy, which is fundraising for the project. To learn more, visit https://saintpaulparksconservancy.org/project/kennedy-park/.
Project Documents
