Construction on Cascade Lake Park could begin in 2017, thanks to state grant
A proposal to develop Cascade Lake into a multi-use park space received a boost this week from the Greater Minnesota Parks and Trail Commission.
The commission announced that it has selected Cascade Lake Park as the recipient of a $1.5 million Legacy Grant. The funding could allow construction on the project to begin as early as next summer, according to Mike Nigbur, head of parks and forestry for the City of Rochester.
"This is a very competitive process for these funds across greater Minnesota so we are honored to receive this grant," Nigbur wrote in a citywide memo.
Plans to develop the park have been in the works for more than a decade, but not until recently have funding sources begin to emerge. The total cost of the project, which will be broken up in phases, is estimated at $14 million.
Earlier this year, the J.A. Wedum Foundation announced a $2 million donation to the park. The foundation owns the adjacent Shorewood Senior Campus. The city is also expected to provide funding toward the project
Once complete, the park will include paved walking trails, a swimming beach and pool house, a visitor center, an amphitheater/band shell, paved parking spaces and an area for food vendors. Park officials anticipate the park could be completed within the next five years. However, larger projects such as the amphitheater, could take longer depending on costs.
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(Cover graphic: Park Master Plan)
