The removal of half the trees in downtown St. Paul’s cherished Rice Park is for its long-awaited makeover — not for a towering ice palace being built in time for the Super Bowl.
After more than two years of organizing, private fundraising for the park’s renovation has hit its $1.35 million goal. The city last week began removing 27 of the park’s 53 trees for the makeover. Thirteen will ultimately be replanted with better spacing between them.
Meanwhile, the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation is installing a 70-foot-tall, 4,000-block ice palace in the park in time for Super Bowl LII and the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Construction, which began a few days ago, has led to speculation on social media that the trees are being removed to make room for the icy spectacle.
St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department spokesman Brad Meyer said that’s not the case.
“All the trees being removed are for the (Rice Park makeover),” Meyer said this week, “but a portion of them were removed in advance of (the spring renovation start) at no additional cost to help with the ice palace construction — everybody wins.”
Among the trees that will be removed for good are a group of “fruiting ginkgos” that have drawn more odor complaints than fans.
“They drop a smelly fruit and they have been a nuisance for visitors and park neighbors for many years,” Meyer said.
DOWNTOWN’S ANCHOR
Donated to the city by Minnesota pioneer Henry Mower Rice in 1849, the 1.6-acre park has become an anchor of downtown and the annual Winter Carnival celebration. It’s overdue, however, for a face-lift, park enthusiasts say.
Noting that irrigation frequently fails, granite walkways need to be completely redone and lighting and sight lines are poor, the city unveiled park designs and launched a private fundraising effort in late 2015 through the Parks Conservancy, the St. Paul Garden Club and the Rice Park Association.
The two partners have raised the $1.35 million needed to begin construction once the ground thaws, to which the city will contribute another $1 million.
PROJECT’S DETAILS
A notice from the city to members of the Rice Park Association last week indicated that tree removal would begin in the south lawn, where the ice palace is being constructed.
The goal is to open up lawn spaces, improve safety, reinforce specific pathways and make room for a new walkway that will effectively connect the St. Paul Hotel to the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.
“Currently there is overcrowding … due to too many trees in certain areas, which has resulted in difficulties in maintaining quality trees and surrounding grass as well as sight-lines from different areas of the park — (which are) important for safety,” Meyer said in an email.
“The new design and replanting plan will result in plenty of canopy while reducing these other past issues — which is a great outcome and will be very well-received once construction is done,” he said.
Copyright 2018 Pioneer Press.
