August 9, 2019
Thank you for subscribing to Arden Park Project Update emails. Project update emails will be sent regularly. Please share this update with others in the community who may be interested.
We are excited to see all elements of the Arden Park restoration beginning to take their final shape as construction nears completion this fall. In early August, installation of most trails will be complete and over 35,000 native flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees will be planted. Construction of the new park shelter and playground will continue into September and October, after which the final trails and landscaping will be completed.
Once vegetation is planted throughout the park, it will take a few years for the plants to grow. Thank you for your patience as the restoration takes shape. The new park landscape will be cared for by the project contractors for the next three years.
As a reminder, all areas of the park remain closed until work is completed, which is anticipated to be this fall. This includes the perimeter of the park without fencing. Continuing construction with large equipment makes conditions unsafe for visitors.
Work done to date:
Stormwater management:
The new stormwater treatment system is in place at the north end of the park. Once newly planted vegetation establishes, this stormwater will then flow through the six swales on the east side of the park. New drain tile in the playground area and open space of the park now moves water to the creek, keeping these areas drier.
Boardwalk and trails:
Crews are working to connect the boardwalk, bridges, park trails, and paths throughout the site. Some internal trails will be completed after the new park shelter building and playground are finished this fall.
Park shelter and playground:
The construction of the new park shelter building is well underway. The exterior wall framing of the shelter building is being constructed. The base for the new playground is finished, and the “container” that will hold the playground has been built.
New creek remeander:
The new streambanks are being planted with grasses, flowers, and shrubs. A permanent, natural fiber fabric will be placed at the top of the banks and on inside curves of the stream to keep the banks stable while plants are establishing. The site has been extremely wet with this spring’s rain, but the new streambanks have held up very well during high flows, and the newly connected floodplain provided storage when the creek was outside of its banks. The new plantings will further anchor the streambanks and take up water in the floodplain.
Upcoming work:
August
- Planting of over 35,000 trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses in the stormwater swales, floodplain areas, streambanks, and along trails will continue
- Open spaces will be seeded with turf grasses or low-mow grasses
- Shelter building construction will continue
September
- Shelter building terrace and landscaping will be completed
- Remaining interior trails will be finished
- New hockey rink boards will be installed
- Playground will be installed
For safety reasons, the park will remain closed until the project is completed. Park conditions are not safe for visitors, and access to the park is strictly forbidden. Playgrounds can be found at most city parks, including Garden, Highlands, Pamela, Todd, and Wooddale.
The restoration of Arden Park is part of a larger effort along Minnehaha Creek that is returning the formerly ditched and straightened stream into a healthy resource that connects and enhances communities. Project outcomes include a healthier creek, improved habitat for fish and wildlife, a larger and more diverse tree canopy, a drier green space, and more recreational opportunities.
|
