Public Hearing Scheduled regarding Stevens Square Park Proposed Playground Renovations
Posted on 4 June, 2014The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Planning Committee will hold a public hearing for the proposed concept plan to replace the playground equipment at Stevens Square Park on Wednesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the MPRB Headquarters, 2117 W. River Rd., Minneapolis.
The MPRB has allocated $150,000 for the design and construction of a new playground at Stevens Square Park, which was last renovated in 1991. Adoption of the resolution by the MPRB Board approves the concept plan for the Stevens Square Park Playground Improvements, setting the stage for 2014/2015 construction.
The concept plan was developed with public input provided through four community meetings. The Stevens Square – Loring Heights Neighborhood Association helped publicize the meetings to plan the playground improvements. The fourth meeting was held as a part of the regular monthly neighborhood meeting in order to help raise attendance.
The new equipment will be installed in the existing play container. The community is heavily populated with young adults and would like to have an “art identity.” Meeting attendees at the first meetings suggested “playable art.” Flagship Recreation developed an apple with a worm theme that features a larger apple with a net, a slide, various climbing options, and a whisper phone. Two loops of the worm allow for more climbing, crawling, and sliding. The worm head is the other end of the apple whisper phone. The play surfacing will be new sand, to replace the existing sand, with poured-in-place rubber surfacing providing accessible routes to selected components. A fence will be added between East Nineteenth Street and the playground. The new playground will meet current accessibility and safety standards.
The community is looking forward to construction of improvements in late fall of 2014 / spring 2015, with a Grand Opening celebration in 2015.
All those attending the public hearing will have an opportunity to review the plans and share their comments with the Planning Committee of the MPRB Board of Commissioners. If you are interested in speaking, you may sign up until 6:25 pm. on the day of the hearing. If you require language translation or other accommodations, please call 612-230-6472 at least two business days prior to the hearing.
For further information about this and future improvements, visit the project page on the MPRB website.