Rosemount splash pad project moving swiftly

Downtown Rosemount may see a sea of young visitors this summer with the addition of a new splash pad in Central Park sprouting up this spring.

The city has been working on plans for the splash pad since last summer, but the project has recently picked up speed with the City Council's approval of a water removal system last week.

The more than 50,000 gallons of water used by the splash pad each day will flow into nearby Erickson Pond and Wetland. Excess water from the pond will be used to water baseball fields in the area, said Parks and Recreation Director Dan Schultz.

"We felt that trying to reuse [water] for irrigation would be a benefit," Schultz said.

The aboveground water playground will cost about $850,000 to build and is expected to be completed by this spring or early summer, he said.

Because the splash pad will replace two hockey rinks in the park, rinks will be added to other parks in town — Jaycee Park and Bloomfield Park.

With more activity downtown, more parking may need to be added in the future, but the city will wait to see how great the need is once the splash pad is up and running, Schultz said.

The city is also hoping to work with YMCA to build a facility with an indoor pool where city residents could swim for free or at a reduced cost.

City officials say the push to build more facilities designed with young people in mind is to meet the need of the city's young demographics. About 7,000 Rosemount residents, nearly one-third of the city's population, are younger than 18.

Rosemount City Administrator Dwight Johnson said the splash pad will be a "great addition" to Central Park and will accommodate the city's youth nicely.