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Roseville accepts $500,000 pledge and approves feasibility study for Harriet Alexander nature-play project
Summary
The council authorized staff to issue a request for proposals and accepted a Central Park Foundation donation to fund a feasibility study for a nature-play addition to the Harriet Alexander Nature Center after hearing a Parks & Rec presentation and public questions about site impacts.
The Roseville City Council on Feb. 23 authorized staff to issue a request for proposals for a feasibility and planning study for a proposed nature-play addition at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center and accepted a donation to fund that study.
Parks and Recreation Director Matt Johnson told the council the nature center hosts more than 10,000 visitors annually and that community groups have expressed strong interest in a nature-play space. Johnson said donor John Robertson Smith has pledged $500,000 toward the project and that the Central Park Foundation will cover the study cost. "He's very, very committed to the project," Johnson said of the donor pledge.
Johnson outlined a wide potential project cost range: a largely natural playground could be constructed for a few hundred thousand dollars, while a version that required added infrastructure, ADA access improvements or parking expansion could approach $1,000,000. He said staff sees the project as a strong candidate for the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Grant (administered by the Department of Natural Resources), which can match up to $500,000 if the project is shovel-ready and backed by partner funding.
Council and residents discussed site and preservation concerns: Carrie Gelli and Amy Perkins praised the proposal but urged the city to consider the status of a parcel north of the nature center that is on the market and to explore park-dedication or acquisition options to maintain contiguous natural character. Johnson acknowledged parking and ecological constraints and said the feasibility study and community engagement would address siting, access and maintenance questions.
Council Member Straub moved to accept the Central Park Foundation donation for the study and to proceed with an RFP for consulting services; Council Member Graf seconded. The motion passed unanimously 4—to—0. Council directed staff to program any future capital costs into the city's capital improvement program and to return with funding details if the project advances beyond the study phase.
Next steps: staff will issue the RFP, begin community engagement as part of the study, confirm funding commitments, and, if a design advances, pursue grant opportunities and donor contributions for construction.
