Victoria Park Getting Major Face Lift
On August 9, Victoria Park in the West 7th neighborhood held its groundbreaking ceremony to construct a multi-use athletic field. This is the first of many planned additions to make the park an integral part of the neighborhood.
The City of St. Paul adopted the Victoria Park Master Plan in 2013 after the previous oil tank site was restored and its land was transferred from the City’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority to City owned parkland. After years of design and engineering, construction on Victoria Park finally began following the securing of funding.
The majority of the funding came from the Common Sense sales tax, which was initiated earlier this year after St. Paul voters approved a 1% municipal sales tax last November to fund improvements for the city’s roads and parks.
The full-size synthetic turf multi-use athletic field will feature lines for soccer, baseball, softball, flag football and lacrosse. Community leaders hope this field will be beneficial for the children of the neighborhood.
Saura Jost, Ward 3 on the City Council, expressed her excitement at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“As a mother myself, I’m very excited as I look out at this field and think about all the kids who are going to come here and learn how to play a new sport, maybe make their first friends, hopefully, score their first goals, and simply learn what it means to be a teammate.” she said.
Jost highlighted the transformative impact the space will have on the entire West 7th community, seeing it as a vibrant place for families and future amenities.
Mayor Melvin Carter emphasized the significance of the field for the neighborhood and the city as well.
“This is a perfect example of why we needed investment and why this investment is worth it,” Carter said. “Not for us, but for our families, community members, and children growing up in this city.”
He expressed pride in welcoming the community to the park and guaranteed access and opportunities for play, sports and community in St. Paul through parks like Victoria Park.
While most of the community is excited to see progress on the Victoria Park construction, there are mixed feelings.
As Julia McColley, West 7th/Fort Road Federation Executive Director puts it, “Many residents appreciate the natural, untamed feel of the space as it currently exists.”
She said others expressed concerns for the synthetic turf itself as well as the potential installation of stadium lighting.
However, McColley is hopeful that the park design will find a balance.
“We’re hopeful that funding for the remaining portions of the park project will be secured soon, and that the park’s design will strike a balance by preserving plenty of green space and areas for prairie restoration alongside the new amenities.”
The construction of the park will continue until November of this year and resume in March of next year, with the field being accessible to the public next June. Future amenities include the first universally accessible play area in the city as well as improvements to the trails surrounding the park and other nature components which are currently in the funding stages.
Learn more at stpaul.gov/facilities/victoria-park.
