St. Paul’s Rice Park may be getting a makeover.
The St. Paul Parks Conservancy has teamed with the St. Paul Garden Club and the Rice Park Association to raise $1.35 million in donations to improve the park — an iconic downtown gathering space between the George Latimer Central Library and the Landmark Center. Overall project costs could reach $2.4 million.
“We’re looking at a 12- to 18-month campaign to bring that amount of money in,” said John Bennett, board chair of the St. Paul Parks Conservancy. “We’ll tackle this project in stages if we need to. We’ve got ambitious goal because we want to take care of our capital city.”
In August 2014, the coalition of park boosters raised $46,000 for architectural planning and community outreach. The money helped the city study internal circulation, links between landmarks, maintenance and additional ways to support programmed activities.
The last significant renovation to the park was done in the 1970s, Bennett said.
“The infrastructure is obsolete, and it’s not the showpiece we want the state capital city to have at this point,” he said.
Bennett, a senior vice president with Western Bank, noted that the business and nonprofit community around Rice Park has stepped up to support the fundraising effort, including key partners such as the Landmark Center and the St. Paul Hotel.
“A lot of the design work has already been done,” he said.
The city has not committed to a specific sum but will look at different funding options.
“People are really rallying around this vision, and our private-sector partners have really stepped up,” said St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Mike Hahm. “It’s a great vision.”
The funds are expected to add to the city’s as-yet-undetermined contribution. Concept plans call for reconfigured entryways, perimeter seating, new trees and a garden display, as well as a curved new secondary path connecting Market and Washington streets.
Other flourishes include path lighting, new granite paving and sidewalk “bumpouts” at each intersection to provide traffic calming.
Fans of the F. Scott Fitzgerald sculpture and the statue of a girl running through the central fountain need not worry — both are staying.
The conservancy’s written donation request states that “city leaders have come to the realization that St. Paul alone is not able to provide adequate funding (for) creative and expansive park enhancements, and we need the support of community members to help restore this iconic space.”
Designated the city’s first public square in 1849, the 1.6-acre park hosts weddings and festivals and plays a central role in the annual St. Paul Winter Carnival.
Its irrigation and electrical systems need major improvements, according to the conservancy, and the design was not intended for heavy daily use on top of “future local, regional and national events planned for the Twin Cities.”
Rice Park was named “one of 10 Great Public Spaces for 2011” by the American Planning Association.
The conservancy is accepting donations through Thursday at the GiveMN website, tinyurl.com/RiceGiveMN. Thursday marks GiveMN’s seventh annual “Give to the Max Day” in Minnesota, a day of coordinated online giving to charities and nonprofits.
Together with Mears Park in Lowertown, Rice Park serves as one of downtown St. Paul’s two major outdoor gathering spots. The park hosts winter attractions such as an ice sculpture contest, ice skating and a giant Christmas tree-lighting celebration.
Over the past 50 years, major renovation projects have spruced up the Landmark Center, the St. Paul Hotel, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and the George Latimer Central Library.
Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.
Copyright 2015 Pioneer Press.