Saint Paul and the Capitol Region Watershed District are set to break ground Wednesday morning on a major overhaul of McMurray Athletic Fields, ripping out three softball diamonds to make way for a five-acre artificial turf field and a hidden stormwater system engineered to keep pollution out of Como Lake. The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the fields located at 1151 Jessamine Ave. W., in the lawn area just east of the Como Regional Park Pool.
The project pairs new athletic infrastructure with an ambitious environmental fix, according to monitorsaintpaul.com. The three existing softball fields south of Wynne Avenue will be replaced by the new multi-use turf field, while an underground stormwater reuse system is installed to store and treat runoff before it's used to irrigate the field and surrounding green spaces. As reported by the Pioneer Press, the collected stormwater will also help cut back on the park's reliance on drinking water for irrigation.
Directing Runoff Away From Como Lake
The stormwater system won't just recycle water for the fields — it's also designed to intercept pollution before it ever reaches Como Lake. Runoff will be routed to a new rain garden, two existing natural infiltration basins, and an underground infiltration area built beneath the new turf field, per the same account. The goal, per the outlet's reporting, is to reduce phosphorus pollution flowing into the lake while easing the park's demand on drinking water for irrigation.
Smart controllers will keep tabs on National Weather Service data and automatically drain the system ahead of incoming storms, freeing up capacity to absorb more runoff before it can overwhelm the site, the article notes. That kind of automated forecasting-based drainage is meant to keep the system from backing up during heavy rain events.
Who's Paying For The Overhaul
The city's share of the park improvements is funded through Saint Paul's voter-approved Common Cent sales tax program, which is dedicated to improving city streets and parks. The Capitol Region Watershed District's portion of the project, meanwhile, is being funded in part by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment's Clean Water Fund and a Stormwater Resiliency Grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, according to the same source.
Saint Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is expected to speak at Wednesday's groundbreaking. “Investments like McMurray Fields happen when the city and our partners plan together from day one,” Her said, according to the Pioneer Press. She added that “Thanks to these efforts, our neighbors will now enjoy an upgraded green space while protecting Como Lake for generations to come.”
The renovation reflects a broader push by the city and watershed district to tie neighborhood recreation upgrades directly to water-quality goals for Como Lake, rather than treating park improvements and environmental infrastructure as separate efforts. For the athletes and families who use McMurray's fields, the changes promise a new turf surface for play alongside a stormwater system working quietly underground.
