When Saint Paul voters decided to part with a little more of their pennies last November, they weren't just handing over cash—they were investing in the fabric of their community. The extra 1% on sales tax they approved is funneling a hefty $246 million into reinvigorating the city's parks and rec facilities, as reported by the City of St. Paul. If you've taken a swing at Webster Park or Orchard Park's new pickleball courts or kicked about on the synthetic turf field at Jimmy Lee/Oxford Community Center, you've seen the dollars at play.
While athletic types may flock to the plethora of improvements at parks like Highwood Hills and beyond, there's something a bit more serene to peek at. Over at Hazel Park, the wrapping just came off new play areas, following clamoring kids at Hayden Heights, as per the City of St. Paul. These are part of a larger citywide push to perk up fun zones for the tiniest residents, with the Play Area Projects webpage doling out updates faster than we can slide down a playground slide.
Take the Wakan Tipi Center, a new intergenerational gathering space that harks back to the region’s Dakota roots. The Center’s raison d'être is as much community hub as it is a reverent nod to the sacred Wakan Tipi and the maḳa paha. Then there's the next urban escape, Pedro Park, soon to be a green lung amid downtown's hustle. By July 2025, locals can expect a park complete with all the trimmings of urban respite—cafe tables, dog run, and play area included.
Not one to miss a beat, the city also broke ground on a multi-use turf athletic field at Victoria Park, aiming for the grand opening in Spring 2025. Soccer buffs, baseball kids, and flag footballers can track its progress on the Victoria Park project webpage. Close on its heels is the North End Community Center, touted to stand as a 25,000 sq ft testament to the community with a dash of everything from dance rooms to outdoor courtyards, penciled in for a winter opening.
Heading down by the river, the Mississippi River Learning Center is shaping up to be something special, with VJAA and TEN x TEN steering the design ship toward a vision of connection and education along the storied banks, noted by the City of Saint Paul. For those who get a kick out of architectural plans and landscape schemes, a deep dive into the project's progress is just a click away at the Mississippi River Learning Center project page.
