As a former park board employee, recently retired, with no ties to DeLaSalle
or Nicollet Island,(except to travel around-through the area occassionally)
I would like to weigh in on the football field issue. For thirty plus years,
the area in question to be donated to DeLaSalle has been an open field
consisting of grass/weeds. It has been devoid of park users for the thirty
plus years I have been acquainted with the area and resembles a large vacant
lot--not a regional park. Even the public tennis courts get very little
usage. Why would people be attracted to this large vacant lot when there are
so many other attractions nearby? People are attracted to the River Road
with pedestrian and bike paths on both the east and west side, the Stone
Arch Brdge, Mills Ruins Park, Boom Island Park,St. Anthony Falls, and the
majestic force of the river. Theodore Wirth, the great visionary and
landscape architect of this great park system strongly believed that parks
must attract users--not just to have parkland sit vacant. The much maligned
park board has done a great job re-shaping the downtown riverfront. It meets
the criteria of Wirth by becoming a destination and inducing people to leave
their cars and meander through the park area. I believe Nicollett Island
residents are beneficiaries of this wonderful riverfront revival. I'm in
support of the football field. I firmly believe that with the shared use
agreement, both the Islanders and DeLaSalle and the general public will
benefit from the transaction. This currently unused space will provide
enjoyment that Wirth envisioned a park system should provide, especially for
the kids. jrwarner--cedar lake area
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