$1.9 million renovation set to start at Coon Rapids' Riverview Park

Construction is to begin soon on $1.9 million in improvements to Coon Rapids' busy Riverview Park, the first of 10 major parks to see renovations under a $17.4 million bond request approved by city voters last year.

Public works director Tim Himmer said he expected demolition and removal of existing play structures and buildings to begin this week, clearing the way for construction. The activity comes after the City Council last month awarded a contract for the redevelopment of the park to Peterson Companies of Chisago City.

The improvements include a new playground and equipment, a warming house with restrooms, a skate park, a basketball halfcourt, a tennis court, two T-ball fields and a picnic shelter. Under a rearranged parking plan, one lot will house a seasonal skating rink.

The council approved alternates that call for building a pergola to create shade in and around the playground area and adding infield grass and irrigation to one ball field, Himmer said. The Coon Rapids National Little League will pay for the ball-field extras.

Himmer said he expected the Riverview project to be largely completed by next fall.

The park's playground, parking, warming house and other facilities had gone largely untouched over the past three decades, according to a statement on the city's website. A 2011 plan to renovate Riverview stalled because money wasn't available, which prompted an update of the city's parks and trails plans and led to the $17.4 million referendum that voters narrowly approved last November.

"These people have been waiting, " Himmer said. "This park kind of was the precursor for that referendum. I know the neighbors are happy, the Little League is happy, and when we get this going, it's just going to continue to snowball. It's a long time coming and we're trying to hit the ground running."

"We can't spend $17 million in a year," Himmer said. "It's a progression. Sometimes, it's frustrating for people to understand, and I get that. But we'll keep working through it with the policymakers and setting up the schedule to move forward."

When the work at Riverview is done, Himmer said, visitors likely would especially appreciate the addition of bathrooms with running water and a warming house good for both summer and winter use.

Worth watching is how the portable hockey rink will perform in a parking lot instead of a grassy area or infield, Himmer said.

The boards will go up in the lot, storm sewers will be closed and the area will be flooded to create the ice sheet.

Skating, which has made the park one of the city's busiest during the winter, will not be available this season because of the construction work.