Thanks to the former Cherokee Service for their support.
The Thompson Oaks wetland restoration project and boardwalk bridge in West St. Paul were officially celebrated yesterday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. A large group gathered for a short ceremony, free ice cream, and other activities, plus a small group biked over to the site from the Charlton Tunnel.
“You’ve created a legacy,” said State Rep. Mary Frances Clardy. “You’ve created a place where families and communities can now gather and have a place that they call home and be very, very proud of that.”
- Located behind Wentworth Library, the site filters 25% of West St. Paul’s stormwater, filtering out sediment and pollutants before they reach the Mississippi River.
- The project adds a sweeping boardwalk bridge to the River-to-River Greenway Trail, creating an iconic landmark for the regional trail. Plus, there’s a nearly half-mile loop around the pond and another third-mile loop around a daylighted creek, easily accessible from the library.
Liability to Success
The site used to be a dumping ground before being converted into an under-utilized golf course that closed in 2018. The $5.4 million project removed 200 dump trucks worth of contaminated soil and added multiple filtration opportunities, while also making it fully accessible to the public.
“It’s so amazing, not because it was easy, but because it was hard. It takes a contaminated, blighted site and turns it into a water quality success story,” said Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins. “So in 35 years of being engaged in public service, this is one of the top handful of projects I’ve ever had a hand in.”
What’s Next
“We’re not done yet,” said West St. Paul Mayor Dave Napier. “We have some big plans for this area to make a stronger community presence.”
- He’s referring to the nine-acre former Hy-Vee/YMCA property the city purchased earlier this year for redevelopment. It’s adjacent to Thompson Oaks and has direct access to the River-to-River Greenway Trail.
Thompson Oaks Photos
(Thanks to Beth Landahl and Mike Longaecker with Dakota County for some of the above photos.)
Oct. 3, 2023 Update: Video
Town Square TV shared a video about the event:
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