City Seeks Feedback on Town Center Park in St. Michael

The City of St. Michael is ready to look to residents of the community for input on a possible park at Town Center, which is consists of city and privately held land that envelops St. Michael City Hall downtown.

The community is invited to an Open House from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, at city hall, which is located at 11800 Town Center Drive in St. Michael. There, stakeholders will hear about everything from park land and proposed improvements to the new developments bringing new activity into Town Center, including a pair of churches (Westbridge and Northwest Bible), townhomes and an apartment complex. All of those developments are well on their way through the city government approval process.

There will be a variety of materials presented, then a session hosted by city staff. Finally, city residents will give input from about 8 to 9 p.m., and that feedback will be collected by staff as they move forward with the proposed park.

The idea of a park in downtown St. Michael took a step closer to reality in January, when the St. Michael City Council approved hiring a consultant to create a concept plan for the 5.5-acre parcel of land directly adjacent to the city center building that houses city hall, the library and senior center.

What Will the Park Include?

The task force and SRF Consulting will be working on those details in the coming months, and residents are encouraged to give their input by emailing the city at cityhall@ci.st-michael.mn.us. St. Michael Community Development Director Marc Weigle said the city has already ruled out any formal ball or soccer fields because there isn’t enough space, and he also said an outdoor pool space isn’t likely due to cost of construction and ongoing operations. Some ideas under consideration include: picnic pavilion(s), splash pad, playground, amphitheater/performance stage and pier.

Though the park is 5.5 acres as currently planned, Weigle said it could be expanded north to Frankfort Parkway, depending on how the design process goes.

Weigle said earlier this year staff hopes to have a proposal ready for city council in May of June of this year. If approved, Weigle said the park would likely be built in several different phases starting in 2019, and the timeline for building the park out completely would depend upon park funds and other factors.

NWCT Reporter Meghan Gutzwiller contributed to this story.