Hastings receives funding for the redevelopment of Lake Isabel Park – Twin Cities

The City of Hastings received a matching grant from the Federal Water and Land Conservation Fund of $240,000 through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the redevelopment of Lake Isabel Park.

Lake Isabel Park is the largest lake in Hastings, located a few blocks south of the Mississippi River. The redevelopment will be the first in nearly 25 years.

Amenities during the redevelopment include picnic shelters, new playground equipment, new basketball courts, new walkways, new native plantations, and several seating areas.

The Neighborhood Homeowners Association has committed to contribute $25,000 to the project. The remaining amount, about $215,000, will come from the city’s budget, both collection dollars and park dedication dollars.

“It will update the park and incorporate newer facilities and newer trends, and hopefully, it will serve that community for another 20 to 30 years,” said Parks and Recreation Director Chris Jenkins. know.

The city is expected to begin construction this spring and finish in July 2022.

“I think a really big part of it is the gathering space. So that picnic shelter would be a huge improvement in that neighborhood. And it is also improving the connection between the upper part of the park and the lower part of the park,” said Jenkins.