AARP Grant Funds Upgraded Community Input for Kennedy Park Improvements

Thanks to Zak’s Auto Service and Block Portrait Studios for their support.

The Kennedy Park improvement project is getting upgraded community engagement thanks to a grant from AARP. The City of West St. Paul is one of five organizations in Minnesota to be awarded the AARP’s Community Challenge grant.

What: West St. Paul plans to update Kennedy Park and wants community input. Rather than a simple open house, the $20,000 grant is funding enhanced engagement, including a community meal, movie in the park, crosswalk painting, and recreation trailer for ongoing engagement throughout the city.

Why: “The City Council identified expanded and improved community engagement as one of the city’s strategic priorities, so a robust engagement strategy at Kennedy Park helps us make strong inroads,” said Parks, Recreation, and Environment Director Eric Weiss. “Kennedy Park is also the first park project to be influenced by the new parks system plan, which calls for a change to the engagement and design process.”

When: Planning work and community engagement will happen in 2024 with construction expected in 2025.

Where: Kennedy Park is a small, community park on the north end of West St. Paul in the Forty Acres neighborhood.

Potential changes: Current plans call for a nature-themed playground, hillside sledding, gathering space, and better biking and walking access.

Community Engagement

There are multiple ways to give input on the Kennedy Park project:

• Take an online survey.
• A series of free park events, which will replace the traditional open house meeting:
  • Community Meal (registration required) on Thursday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, September 5 at 6 p.m.
  • Paint the Pavement on Thursday, September 19 at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, October 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (or whenever it’s finished).
  • Movie in the Park on Friday, October 11 at 7 p.m.
• The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee will also review the proposals.
• You can also sign up to be notified about project updates.

Sept. 12, 2024 Update: Plans & Paint

About 100 people turned out for the community meal at Kennedy Park last week to connect and give input on future park plans:

• Two concept plans (Sculpture Stroll and Hillside History) were shared at the event. Neither plan has been approved and the city will likely create a third plan combining elements of both, depending on community feedback.
• The city has a new survey to gather additional input.
• The Movie in the Park on October 11 will reveal finalized plans, show Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest, and feature a 1990s party.
• A group of local artists collaborated on the paint the pavement designs and the community voted for the 40 Acres design for the short-term mural. There will be a paint-by-numbers community event on Sept. 19 Oct. 5 to create the mural.

Oct. 16, 2024 Update: Mural and Plans

• See pictures and video of the mural project.
• See the preferred concept plan for Kennedy Park.

Aug. 19, 2025 Update: Construction Progress

Here’s a look at construction progress at Kennedy Park:

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