Cottageville Park Planning Events Start Today

Public input on the Cottageville Park redesign kicks off in earnest next week with an art event at the soon-to-be revamped green space.

Artist Ta-coumba T. Aiken will lead residents in a creative workshop starting at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 18 that will help residents share their thoughts and visions for the park. Attendees are invited to bring old magazines to use for collage materials, opinions and ideas.

The event is the first of several planned in the next couple weeks for the community to decide how the newly expanded park should look:

• Oct. 22: Cuningham Group, the company overseeing park design, will offer an early look at redesign possibilities at a joint meeting of the Park Board and Zoning and Planning Commission, said Tara Beard, the city’s community development coordinator.
• Oct. 24: Cuningham will present design options to the public and get feedback at an event at 6:30 p.m. at St. John Catholic Church.
• Nov. 13: Park designers will present a draft final plan and feasibility report at a City Council work session. There should be preliminary information on cost and phasing options.
• Dec. 4: Cuningham will present the final design to the public prior to the City Council meeting. At the council meeting, designers will present the feasibility report and final plan.

The Cottageville Park project is a partnership between Hopkins and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. The watershed district bought properties surrounding the park and demolished the buildings. The city is paying for the design and construction of the expanded parkland.

The extra green space should improve water quality, add space for residents to relax and enhance the image of the neighborhood.

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