Eagan Parks Commission Reviews Plans for New City Park

The 3.5-acre park will be located to the south of the Paragon outlet mall development, adjacent to Cedar Grove Parkway.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter| Blog for us A playground, a basketball half-court, an open-air picnic shelter. Those are just a few of the amenities planned for a new, 3.5-acre park just south of the Paragon outlet mall development in Eagan's Cedar Grove neighborhood. Eagan Advisory Parks Commission members got their first look at the preliminary plans for the newly-christened Nicols Ridge Park on Monday night. The plans were designed by Minneapolis-based architectural firm WSB and Associates. The preliminary plans for the proposed park include an eight-stall parking lot, four square and horseshoe courts, outdoor seating, a small paved performance space and a playground structure—all …

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Caponi Art Park Preservation Efforts Hit Speed Bump

Park proponents hoped state grant funding would enable the city to purchase a portion of the park for preservation.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter For decades, Eagan resident Tony Caponi has worked to preserve Caponi Art Park, a 57-acre artistic and educational platform situated among rolling, wooded hills in the heart of Eagan. Caponi's long pursuit of that goal has given the 91-year-old a certain amount of perspective and patience—especially when the park preservation effort hits a bump in the road. In March, Eagan city officials applied to two separate Minnesota Department of Natural Resources grant programs for $400,000 in funding. That money was to be the lynchpin of a roughly $1.2 million public funding package that would allow the city of Eagan to purchase a portion of the park for …

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PHOTOS: Eagan 5K Your Way Activities Festival

Hundreds of local community members showed up at Central Park in Eagan on Saturday morning to run, walk, stroll, bike and even roller blade as part of the Eagan 5K Your Way Activity Festival. The race, hosted by the city of Eagan, is meant to be a family-friendly, low-key race, said Parks and Recreation Director Juli Seydell Johnson. The top finishers in the men's and women's divisions are as follows: Men's Division: 1) Nate Leckband, 17:30 2) Erik Johnsa, 21:01 3) Gelacio Genis, 21:18 Women's Division: 1) Rily Dahlheimeyer, 22:23 2) Lisa Urdahl, 23:04 3) Melissa Islesas, 23:53

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UPDATED: Vandals Cut Down Trees in Bur Oaks Park

Hundreds of trees were cut down in Bur Oaks Park, an Eagan city official told WCCO.

Neighbors and city officials suspect that a homeowner may be responsible for the destruction of hundreds of trees in Bur Oaks Park, according to a WCCO report published Tuesday. Parks and Recreation Director Juli Seydell Johnson told WCCO the damage totals may be as much as $1,000, and that many of the treees cut down were "fairly mature." City officials suspect the homeowner responsible may have wanted to improve the view of a lake bordering the park, according to WCCO. Seydell Johnson said it will likely take years for the trees to grow back. Eagan Police Department spokeswoman Danielle Anselment said police are investigating the incident, but have not yet made any arrests in the case. Any individuals charged in connection to the …

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Eagan Commission Considers Potential Dog Park Sites

Thresher Fields, Blackhawk Park and Rahn Park topped the list of possible dog park sites.

Eagan's four-legged friends may soon have a place to play, if the Eagan City Council approves a proposal for an off-leash dog park at Thresher Fields. On Thursday night, the Eagan Advisory Parks Commission unanimously approved a recommendation that the council amend the city's 2012 capital improvement plan to include an off-leash dog park, at the cost of approximately $45,000. The commission began considering the development of a dog park last year, after city staff received several requests from residents for an off-leash dog area. There are approximately 3,000 dogs currently licensed in the city, although the total dog population is estimated at 12,000, according to a report prepared by Parks and Recreation Director Juli Seydell Johnson…

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