Vote on new Levee Park plan Monday

by CHRIS ROGERS

On Monday, the Winona City Council is expected to vote on an issue Winonans have been working on for nearly 50 years: returning the island city's riverfront park to its former glory. The Levee Park Committee will present its new plan for Levee Park, an effort that will likely cost a few million dollars and would widen the Main Street railroad crossing, erect a large open-air performance structure, in-fill parts of the park, and leave the levee wall largely untouched.

"I think there is a real interest in the community for fixing up Levee Park and reconnecting with the river," said Winona Mayor Mark Peterson. Peterson and Levee Park Committee Chair Frank Pomeroy both described numerous things happening within the next few years that, if the city makes Levee Park shine, could be great opportunities to draw visitors to the downtown riverfront. They listed the construction of the new interstate bridge in 2016, the construction of a new bicycle trail and railroad overpass in Aghaming Park, streetscape planning by the downtown revitalization group Main Street, and the possibility of new river cruise ships stopping in Winona. "These are things that can have a big impact on a community, and I think if we put the effort into fixing up Levee Park, I think we will be a destination for those boats to stop again," Peterson stated.

Winona has faltered on improving Levee Park in the past, but if Winonans do not act now, we will always regret it, said Levee Park Committee member Mike Kennedy. "It would be a tremendous missed opportunity," he said. "It's time to commit and get it done," he added.

At the Monday meeting, the City Council is expected to vote on whether it approves of the committee's ideas for the park. While the committee's recommendations outline a rough plan for funding, the council is not yet being asked to vote on major funding for the park project, which has been the Achilles' heel of past Levee Park efforts.

It is still unclear how much the proposed changes will cost. The committee provided rough cost estimates for some parts of its plan, totaling $1.56 million to $1.78 million. However, there are still no cost estimates for several other parts of the park plan.

The proposed changes

Under the committee's proposed plan, the city would widen the pedestrian railroad crossing at Main Street to be as wide as the street and the stairs leading up to the former Wilkie site. The committee is also interested in improving and widening other pedestrian crossings at Center and Lafayette streets; however, crossings require approval from the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad, and while approval of a wider Main Street crossing seems likely, UP is opposed to adding new park entrances. The Main Street crossing changes are estimated to cost $115,000.

At the former Wilkie site, the committee has proposed a large stage and open-air pavilion that would take up most of the circular "patio" and provide a space for hosting concerts and other performances. This is estimated to cost $880,000 to $1,100,000. The committee recommended building a ramp leading up to the patio from the parking lot to the west that would accommodate handicapped visitors and vehicles needed for setting up special events. The committee also recommended rebuilding the stairs facing Main Street. Those costs are unknown.

The pavilion would be situated at a 45-degree angle to the river and, under the plan, the grassy area to the southwest of the patio would be in-filled to make it level with the patio height. That area would be used for overflow performance seating. Engineering for that in-fill is estimated to cost $100,000. Construction costs are unknown.

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Vote on new Levee Park plan Monday