New life for Wirth in wake of tornado

Theodore Wirth Park is superlative in so many ways.

It's named after the longtime leader of the internationally admired Minneapolis parks system and, at 760 acres, it's the city's largest. It hosted 419,363 visits last year, and its geography makes it a bridge between the city's signature chain of lakes and north Minneapolis.

Unfortunately, it's also now noted for widespread destruction from a May 22 tornado. At least 300 trees were uprooted, and many more may be so unstable they will have to be cut down.

Man-made infrastructure, including a trail loop around Wirth Lake and a boardwalk around the swimming area, sustained $280,000 in damage. Both were part of a project to update the lake portion of the park, and were due to open to the public this week.

With city attention rightly focused on the immediate needs of North Side residents, it's too early to tally the total damage to the park, and it's uncertain how much insurance will cover.

But it's not too early to recommit to previously planned improvements that would make Wirth a regional mecca for the increasingly popular "silent sports" of cross-country skiing, mountain biking, trail-running, hiking and others.

A plan to do just that has been forwarded to the Wirth Park Citizen Advisory Committee by the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation, which holds the annual City of Lakes Loppet cross-country ski races, as well as other events.

Use among young people has increased dramatically, as the park is teeming with high school cross-country ski teams and the Minnesota Youth Ski League, which lists Wirth as its biggest club.

The growth in active sports participation contrasts with decline in rounds of golf played at Wirth's 18-hole and par-3 courses. Last year, 46,863 rounds were played, or 40 percent fewer than at the Tiger Woods golf boom peak in 2000.

With golf waning, it makes sense to incorporate the par-3 course into the 18-hole course, which would also allow the park to improve the 17th and 18th holes. The newly available space on the north end of the park would be turned into an active-sports hub, with a central building, parking lot and other facilities.

Emphasizing and investing in active sports sends a strong signal, especially at a time of rapidly rising youth obesity. And Wirth's location is ideal for the relatively underserved North Side.

Costs for the ambitious project are estimated at $6.6 million to $8.2 million. Possible funding sources include the Legacy Amendment and Metropolitan Council regional park funding, which paid for the Wirth Lake project.

The proposed Theodore Wirth Park improvements should be completed, and plans should be adopted to reflect a new generation of recreational sports and activities.

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