“Splash pads were a big thing,” said Parks Manager Nate Monahan. He said many residents also asked for improvements and additions to the existing playgrounds and trail systems in city parks.
From that input and the surveys in collaboration with WSB & Associaties, the city is putting the finishing touches on a parks master plan that could shape the vision and plans for years to come in one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing cities.
“We definitely want to hear from our residents about what they’d like to see,” said Monahan. “It’s not just from a staff perspective. That’s why we did a lot of community engagement. It’s very important to listen to our residents to see where those gaps are.”
One of the first parks to see changes will be Aquatore Park, near the intersection of Minnesota Highway 65 and U.S. Highway 10. The plans call for replacement of picnic shelters at the park, and, one day, possibly a splash pad. Aquatore hosts many of the city’s big functions, including festivals and concerts.
Also on the list for immediate upgrades is Happy Acres Park, located between 118th and 121st Avenues North and University Avenue. It is the site of several ice rinks.
“We’re hoping to replace the warming house,” said Monahan. “We’re going to add an addtional (primarily baseball) field. Currently, there’s three. We want to add one more to make it a wheel.”
These changes, and any going forward, are proposed at a time when the city felt it was best to examine the parks situation.
“We currently have two more parks (to build),” before the parks are built out in Blaine, Monahan said. “We didn’t want to do this process too early and still have 15 parks to build.”
