Elliot Park Skate Park and Field Lighting Update
Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 8:10PMVia a January 2 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board:
A bird's eye view illustration of the skate plaza planned at Elliot Park
New athletic field lighting and upgraded pedestrian lighting will be installed in 2020
A project to expand the skate park, add athletic field lighting and upgrade path lighting at Elliot Park was delayed in 2019, but is on track for 2020.
Original construction bids came in well over the project budget due to an extremely competitive construction market that affected many public and private projects this year. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) bid the lighting project in the fall and awarded a construction contract on Dec. 18, 2019 – made possible with allocation of additional Elliot Park neighborhood Park Dedication Funds. Work is anticipated to begin in spring 2020.
The Elliot Skate Plaza project was awarded a $200,000 Hennepin County Youth Sports Grant on Dec. 12, 2019. This funding is critical to completing the skate park expansion, which is in the final stage of design. The MPRB plans on bidding the skate plaza project this winter, and if successful, construction would likely begin in summer 2020. MPRB staff is still seeking additional funding/grants to help fully realize the skate plaza design, including a patio area with seating.
Project Background
The Elliot Park skate park opened in 2004. Phase Two will be a highly visible, premier street-style public skate park that supports multiple activities - a skate plaza. The plaza adds a new sidewalk connection to the corner of S Eighth Street and S Ninth Street and a variety of new features, like a skateable seat wall, quarter pipe, rail and ledges. The Minneapolis Skate Park Activity Plan, approved in January 2018, helped guide the Phase Two design.
The athletic field, which was upgraded and expanded in 2015, will be outfitted with four new light poles to extend play into the evening. Existing pedestrian and path lighting will also be replaced throughout the park.
The lighting project is funded through an allocation from Elliot Park neighborhood Park Dedication Funds (new field lighting) and 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan park rehabilitation funds (upgraded pedestrian lighting). The skate plaza is funded through a Hennepin County Youth Sports grant and Elliot Park neighborhood Park Dedication Funds.
