Thanks to Mississippi Valley Montessori School for their support. Located in West St. Paul since 1967, they’re an AMI-accredited Montessori school serving children up to age 6. Email us for more info.
As the City of West St. Paul prepares to upgrade Kennedy Park with an ambitious renovation plan, they’ve partnered with the St. Paul Parks Conservancy to raise $250,000 to help achieve the vision. The family of James Kennedy, the park’s namesake, has offered $25,000 in matching funds to kickstart the fundraising.
“There’s no shortage of need, so the additional community support will go a long way in helping to realize the vision for a welcoming, accessible, all-ages, 21st century parks system,” said Parks Director Eric Weiss.
The Park Renovations
The new vision for Kennedy Park started last year with an AARP grant for community engagement and a mural project. The renovations include:
- Central playground and shaded picnic shelter.
- Nature-based play spaces.
- Hillside slides using the park’s natural topography.
- Accessible trails connecting four entry points.
- Pollinator prairies and 40 new trees.
The park’s design preserves open lawn areas and the sledding hill, while adding resting spots, art displays, historical elements, and play zones along the park’s edges.
$250,000 goal? “Maybe a bit of a stretch goal, I’ll admit,” said Weiss. “But with our bold new vision to reimagine the parks system, and our new relationship with St. Paul Parks Conservancy, we wanted to kick things off with a sense of moxie and ambition.”
Timeline: Bids for the construction won’t come until late May, so the timeline and final cost are still up in the air.
Costs: Without a final bid, the price tag is still variable. But the city is working to keep costs down and may push some items to a future phase—something fundraising could make happen sooner.
“We’ve strived to be thoughtful with our budget and have had to make small adjustments to keep costs down,” said Weiss. “We’re getting a more fun, green, and inviting Kennedy Park—with strong neighborhood support—for a relatively low amount when compared to what some other cities spend.”
Kennedy Family Match
The family of James Kennedy has stepped up with $25,000 in matching funds to make the park vision a reality. Kennedy was a longtime City Council member and proponent of the parks.
“The city and 40 acres have done a lot for us, and it brought us a lot of joy growing up,” said Jay Kennedy, the grandson of James Kennedy. “I feel personally proud that the park is named after him, and so when I saw that the city was going to invest to continue the legacy and upgrade the park, well, I wanted to be part of it.”
Jay Kennedy asked family members what they thought: “They all responded very positively,” he said. “We’re in.” A group of 15 to 20 cousins and extended family—mostly grandchildren of James Kennedy—came together to offer the matching funds.
Jay Kennedy remembers spending a lot of time with his grandparents at their home in the 40 Acres neighborhood. He lived with them for a short time and describes James Kennedy as passionate and hard working.
“He really took on the parks as his thing. It was the most important thing to him,” Jay Kennedy said. “I think he just wanted places for kids to go play, where it was a good, positive environment.”
How to Donate
Donations can be made online through the St. Paul Parks Conservancy. All donations are tax deductible.
“My hope is that it continues to be what my grandpa wanted it to be, which was a place for children and families in the neighborhood to come and gather and play,” said Kennedy. “I think that would make him happy.”
Aug. 19, 2025 Update: Construction Progress
Here’s a look at construction progress at Kennedy Park:
We keep the community informed thanks to the generous support of our members.
