July 14 Community Meeting to provide residents with Webber Park and Pool Update

July 14 Community Meeting to provide residents with Webber Park and Pool Update
Park Board, City and County to discuss park, parking, programming, traffic and security

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Webber-Camden Neighborhood Organization (WCNO) are hosting a public meeting at 6:30 pm, Monday, July 14, at the Webber Park recreation center to provide residents with an update on the park renovation and construction of the natural filtration swimming pool, and to address residents’ questions and concerns related to parking, traffic control and security.

While an expanded parking lot and newly planted trees are in place, there have been delays in construction of paved trails and the natural filtration pool - the first public pool of its kind in North America. Following the approval of the park Master Plan in 2012, the project was delayed as the MPRB worked with the State Legislature in 2012 and 2013 to receive approvals for the new pool and funding for park improvements. From fall 2013 through early summer 2014, further delays were caused by challenging weather, extraordinary deep frost that delayed earth work, and unexpected challenges in constructing such a first-of-its-kind project and working with specialized products. The pool is now expected to open in 2015.

Once open, Webber will be the site of the first public swimming pool in North America with a natural filtration system; thousands of natural filtration pools have been built in several locations throughout Europe. Featuring a patented biological filtration system, the pool is designed to use plants in a nearby regeneration pond instead of chemicals to treat the water.

The new pool design includes a 4,500 square foot wading area with a maximum depth of 39 inches and a 16,800 square foot swimming area and lap pool that features five swimming lap lanes and a deep area with a maximum depth of approximately 13 feet. The new pool will offer triple the recreation space of the park's aging concrete pool and wading pool that was removed in 2010.

The new pool is expected to draw people locally, regionally and from afar. Such anticipated increased use of the park has residents wondering about how traffic, parking and safety are being addressed. Joining the Park Board at the July 14 meeting will be representatives from the City of Minneapolis, MPD’s 4^th Precinct, the Park Police and Hennepin County to discuss traffic management and public safety. Information shared at the meeting will also be posted on the MPRB’s Webber Park project page and be available at the Webber recreation center throughout the year.

The Webber Park renovations and pool project are currently estimated at almost $7 million. To receive updates about the project, residents and those interested in the project are encouraged to sign up to receive emails at www.minneapolisparks.org/subscribe. Simply enter your email address then choose “Webber Park” from the “Planning Projects” topic list.