Clinton Field Park Improvements and New Mixed-Use Court Park improvements design and construction of mixed-use court

Milestones (anticipated project schedule by month/season)

September 2023 to February 2024 – Community Engagement – Concept Development
Anticipated February 2024 – Concept Approval
Summer – Fall 2024 or 2025 – Tentative Construction of Phase 1
Summer 2026 – Tentative Construction of Phase 2

Background

The Southwest Service Area Master Plan, approved in 2020, set a vision for improving, operating, and managing all neighborhood parks in Southwest Minneapolis over the next 20-30 years. The plan was created after nearly two years of community-based engagement, planning, and design with individuals, neighborhood groups, and community organizations throughout Southwest Minneapolis. The document represents the final recommendations of the Southwest Parks Plan Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which met 16 times over 18 months.

In 2023, Park Dedication funding was allocated to Clinton Field Park.  Following the Master Plan recommendations and community input, MPRB is planning the implementation of a multi-use court at this park.  More funding will become available in 2026 to complete this project or for additional site improvements.

The implementation of the court will affect the design of future park improvements; therefore, a design team will develop conceptual proposals for the entire park based on the Clinton Park master plan guidelines to evaluate cost estimates and determine potential construction phases for this project. The community and neighbors will be able to weigh in on these proposals. The community engagement process will be focused mainly on the court design during this phase.

MPRB staff has been working closely with Whittier Alliance, the Futsal Society and the bike polo groups for guidance on the park facilities’ design and users’ needs.

History

Located at 26th Street East and Clinton Avenue, Clinton Field Park is tucked away in a leafy corner of the Whittier neighborhood, just a block from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Washburn Fair Oaks Park. Clinton Field is a park today because the Park Board agreed to demolish one of the grandest buildings they owned. Clinton Morrison donated the home and estate of his father in 1911, with the expressed hope that the land would become an art museum. At the same time William Washburn, whose estate was across the street from Morrison’s, sold his own land to the Park Board, the eight acres that their home stood on and all the buildings on the property including Fair Oaks, one of the grandest mansions in the city.

Following the death of Mrs. Washburn in 1915 the Park Board acquired the property, named Washburn Fair Oaks Park, demolishing the barns and greenhouses on the estate but the mansion continued to stand for several years although it was never maintained and fell into disrepair. While the building deteriorated the grounds around it became used as a playground, and neither a distressed mansion nor children’s active use of the space were appreciated by the neighborhood. Eventually the mansion deteriorated so much that residents offered to give the Park Board money to buy a new playground if they would demolish the Fair Oaks mansion. The Park Board accepted the offer and began to consider sites for a new playground in the neighborhood.

The mansion was demolished in 1924, but the purchase of Clinton Field was not completed until 1926, and Washburn Fair Oaks continued to operate as a playground in the interim. This park was named for its location on Clinton Avenue, not for Clinton Morrison, who set in motion the events that led to the park’s acquisition. It was named Clinton Field because the original plans in 1926 were to extend the park to the west or north to make it large enough to include a playing field and a small shelter, but this never happened. It had a skating rink and warming house in its first year as a park.

The next time any improvements were made to the park was nearly thirty years later after World War II. Clinton Field was included on a list of playgrounds that needed extensive improvements, but for years did not receive funding from the Minneapolis City Council. Finally, in 1955, half the park was regraded for a small playing field, and another area was paved for a basketball and volleyball court. At the same time playground equipment, a drinking fountain, and picnic tables were installed. In 2000, in response to a community request for a historical Chinese garden in Washburn Fair Oaks, both Washburn Fair Oaks and Clinton Field were master planned, however, neither of those plans were acted upon.

Excerpted from History written by David C. Smith

Funding

2023 – Park Dedication: $400,000 – For mixed-use court
2026 – NPP20: $1,346,000