Expanded riverfront open space in St. Paul? — Ford workgroup submits recommendations

Although future land use on the Ford site has not been determined, it is very possible that a significant new addition to St. Paul's riverfront parks can be part of the redevelopment plan.

Image from the Metropolitan Design Center Image Bank

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After seven months studying open space needs and opportunities at the Ford Motor Company site in St. Paul, the Ford Site Open Space Workgroup recently completed their findings and recommendations. Situated on the bluff of the Mississippi River, the Ford assembly plant is scheduled to close in fall of 2011. The city is actively planning to redevelop the 157-acre site and appointed the workgroup, which included FMR staff, to assist the larger Ford task force in this process.

The workgroup recommends that the city:

• Set as much land aside for parks as possible.
  When considering the range of public benefits and costs, the workgroup suggested that the city adopt the basic guideline that more open space is preferred to less.
• Expand natural areas along the bluff.
  The workgroup recommends expanding the adjacent Hidden Falls Regional Park by incorporating part of the Ford riverfront property and bluff-top. This would allow the city to use state funds dedicated through the Legacy amendment to acquire and develop the park. If enough land could be acquired it might be possible to realign Mississippi River Boulevard on the Ford site, pulling it away from the bluff to allow for a more expansive bluff-top park.
• Explore options for the riverfront parcel in greater detail.
  Potential open-space uses of Fords riverfront parcel, a 22-acre piece of property between Mississippi River Boulevard and the river, require additional, careful study. Ford used the area as a toxic waste dump for many years and approximately 30,000 cubic yards of waste remain buried on the property. Before major decisions about the larger Ford site redevelopment are made, the workgroup believes several essential questions must be answered, including: How much would it cost to remove the waste? How likely is toxic leakage into the river or groundwater? If the site could be cleaned and restored, what types of open space uses make the best sense for this parcel?
• Create an interconnected greenway system.
  In addition to habitat and recreation areas, a habitat and trail corridor should traverse the site and link to the surrounding neighborhood, the Mississippi River, and Hidden Falls Regional Park. As explored in the Great River Park Master Plan, a creek element reminiscent of the once-present Hidden Creek should be incorporated into the site design to establish natural water flow and a greenway corridor from the interior of the Ford site to Hidden Falls.

For more information:

• On the open space workgroup, or to download the Ford Open Space Guidelines, visit the citys workgroup site,
• On the project overall, please visit the citys Ford Site Planning page.