HGA presents three-site park plan for North St. Paul; McKnight complex identified for phased revival

Trig Hansen, a landscape architect with HGA, presented final conceptual designs for three North St. Paul parks at the March 4 council meeting, outlining preferred design directions for a downtown open space, a Third Street wooded pocket park and the McKnight Athletic Complex.

The presentation summarized community engagement held in 2023–2024, two design options per site tested at public events, and conceptual cost estimates. Hansen emphasized the study produced high-level cost ranges rather than construction budgets and that the team did not prioritize one park over another: "This was an opportunity to create design ideas for these 3 different parks," he said.

The downtown open space concept that drew the most support would function as a flexible "front porch" to downtown North St. Paul: simple green lawn and seating with room for temporary events, plus sculptural, interactive elements described in the plans (Hansen noted an example feature as an…