Fred Richards Park Master Plan Implementation

You may see arborists on-site at Fred Richards Park starting this week. These tree professionals have been hired to remove 23 trees to allow for pre-construction earthwork to happen this fall before snow comes. Tree replacements have been included in designs and will be installed as part of the Fred Richards Park construction project in 2026 and 2027. New native and climate resilient trees have been selected and incorporated into design layouts.

City Council Approved a Pre-Construction tree and earthwork package on November 18th. This portion of work will happen in the next 3 weeks starting November 24th.

The City of Edina and the Fred Richards Project team are excited to announce that Council has approved H+U Construction as Construction Manager at Risk for Fred Richards Park. H+U will help our team with designs and constructability, this maximizes our budget and ensures efficiency during the construction process. They will also manage all aspects of construction including jobsite safety, disruption planning, quality assurance, budget management, construction coordination and scheduling. We are excited to work with them as we finish up planning and start on earthwork and construction later this year.

OPN architects were hired to remodel and design facilities at Fred Richards Park. The remodel of the existing clubhouse facility will accommodate park programming space for Edina Recreation and natural resource programming to support the new park amenities. A new building will be constructed off the central green with public restrooms and a food and beverage service.

OPN has worked on municipal project throughout the Midwest. They have extensive experience with Parks and Recreation facilities. Their understanding of public spaces and holistic design approach aligns with Fred Richard Park Project goals as well as the City's values and focus on community well being.

The City has also contracted with JGL food and beverage consultants to conduct a feasibility and food and beverage plan for the site. This will help to create a foundation for a sustainable partnership with a local food and beverage provider. The City and consultant are currently examining site opportunities and gauging local interest in the project.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the Fred Richards Park Designs. As part of their 2024 workplan initiative Edina Parks and Recreation Commission will be conducting a review and comment of the Fred Richards Park Designs on August 12. Commissioners will review designs, feedback from community, and receive a presentation from the projects design team. Formal comments will be included with design update given to City Council.

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Please join us Monday July 8th at Hughes Pavilion for an open house from 5-8pm. We will be displaying refined concept designs for the park and gathering comments and feedback on them. Staff and consultants will be available for project questions. If you are unable to attend please review concepts after the event that will posted

The City has begun refining the Fred Richards Park Master Plan with Confluence and Consultants. In order to further refine these designs more information about the site must be gathered. You may observe numerous consultants gathering info throughout the park. A site survey was completed in mid September. Other survey work includes an archeological survey, and additional soil samples. Consultants will also be re-evaluating wetlands and existing vegetation.

Once we gather all this information designers will use it to help create final design layout and create documents for construction. Please have patience with the project team as we move forward. Many components of design including but not limited to the Wetland Bank, Trail head and Facility, and other landscape features will take time and authorizations as we develop them. Our current timeline includes a year of design before implementation can take place.