Frogtown Park deal finalized

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced recently that it had closed on a deal to create a new park and urban demonstration farm in the Frogtown neighborhood, one of Saint Paul’s most park-lacking areas. The site has long been a favorite of area children as a sledding venue.[/caption]

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced recently that it had closed on a deal to create a new park and urban demonstration farm in the Frogtown neighborhood, one of Saint Paul’s most park-lacking areas.

The park will be located on land formally owned by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. The 12.7 acres is an oddly shaped parcel occupying about one-half the 6-square-block area bounded by Minnehaha Ave. on the north, N. Victoria St. on the east, W. Lafond Ave. on the south, and N. Chatsworth St. on the west. The land abutting Minnehaha will be the nature part of the proposed development, while recreation will be the focus on the part abutting N. Victoria. The "Frogtown Farm" (see article below) will occupy approximately 5 acres that connects the other two parts of the park. “Saint Paul has some of the best green spaces in the country, and it is crucial that every family deserves to have easy access to parks,” said Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “I am thrilled that we are adding a natural area in this historic neighborhood. For far too long, Frogtown has gone without enough parkland. Today’s announcement is truly a celebration for one of Saint Paul iconic neighborhoods.” Frogtown has the lowest amount of green space per child in all of Saint Paul, .006 acres per child. The new Frogtown Park and Farm will offer a safe place for neighborhood children to play and experience nature. The 12.7-acre park will feature dozens of 50- to 100-year old trees, a recreation area, a sliding hill, an urban demonstration farm and beautiful hilltop views of the city. “This was an underused, vacant space that will now be converted it into an easily accessible park,” said Susan Schmidt, Director of the Minnesota Office of The Trust for Public Land. “This new green space will benefit the current generation of Minnesotans, and many generations of Minnesotans to come.” TPL paid $2.20 million for the property, which has a fair market value of $4.7 million. TPL immediately conveyed the land to the City of Saint Paul who will own and operate the park. While the site had been used by area children in the past, the new Frogtown Park and Farm will offer a safe place for neighborhood children to play and experience nature. The 12.7-acre park will feature dozens of 50- to 100-year old trees, a recreation area, a sliding hill, an urban demonstration farm and beautiful hilltop views of the city.[/caption] The Wilder Foundation agreed to sell the property at a substantial discount to further its charitable mission and serve the Frogtown neighborhood. Wilder is a non-profit community organization that had owned this property since 1969. “The Wilder Foundation Board agreed that dramatically decreasing the asking price would enable the neighborhood, the City and The Trust for Public Land to use this property in way that we could all be proud of as a community. We are thrilled that this park will be a reality for Frogtown residents,” said MayKao Hang President and CEO of the Foundation. Funding for this project comes from state lottery funds (the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources), the City of Saint Paul and many individuals and foundations. In addition to funding for purchasing the land, The Trust for Public Land is also raising funds for initial improvements at the park, community engagement, and capacity building for Frogtown Farm, the nonprofit that will lease a portion of the land to operate a demonstration farm. “This deal is exactly the type of partnership that makes Ward 1 great, and will bring our diverse community together to create positive change,” said Dai Thao, newly elected Councilmember representing this area of the city. “Too often we see roadblocks for these types of initiatives, but having all of these partners coming together to address a community need, is exactly the type of progress we need for Frogtown and the City of Saint Paul.” The urban demonstration farm is one of the more unique aspects of the park. The farm will grow a variety of crops, and will also serve as a tool for teaching about environmental stewardship, community self-sufficiency, healthy living and community collaboration. TPL closed on the transaction on Dec. 4 after working on the project for many years. The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit land-conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Established in 1972, The Trust for Public Land has protected more than 90,000 acres of important lands for conservation in Minnesota.