Project Overview
Following dozens of community meetings during the 2013 Brewers Bluff Park Master Plan process, a citizen-informed design was created for a universally accessible play area that reflects the needs of children of all abilities and their caregivers. In keeping with the vision of the community, the Parks and Recreation Department received CIB funding for the planning and design of the play area. It will be the first play area within Saint Paul that exceeds minimum accessibility standards. Play is the first form of learning among children; this playground creates a safe, fun and developmentally appropriate place for children of all abilities to engage in play. Play builds understanding, empathy, healthy bodies, and self-confidence. Presently, there is no public play space in the Saint Paul Park system that meets the needs of people with a range of physical, cognitive and social/emotional needs.
The play area is designed to ensure everyone safely enters and exits through the same location, visitors will pass through a gate flanked by two fully accessible restrooms. A “front door” to the space, through which all begin their play experience, was important to parents of children with physical disabilities. Rather than creating a separate accessible entrance, the site is inclusive and welcoming, regardless of visitors’ physical mobility. Site amenities include: shade, accessible parking, play equipment (ages 2-12), benches/tables, and views toward the Mississippi River.
Project Updates
March 23, 2026: The groundbreaking event for the universally accessible play area has been postponed.
March 2026: The City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation is currently bidding the Brewers Bluff Park Universally Accessible Play Area project. Once completed, this will be Saint Paul’s first universally accessible play area for people of all ages and abilities! The play area will be located on the footprint of a former oil refinery plant and it was included in the 2013 Brewers Bluff Park Long Range Plan. Prior to construction, tree removal will occur by March 31st to adhere to timeline outlined in bat nesting guidelines. During completion of the long-range plan in 2013, there were a few low quality trees within the proposed play area location and additional low quality vegetation has emerged. The project proposes to remove invasive buckthorn, replace the volunteer trees at more than a 1:1 ratio, and increase species diversity. This is part of a larger 40-acre restoration effort that has included wetland building, native seeding, habitat restoration, and planting over 100 trees to date. This is an exciting moment which is has been a decade in the making!
December 2025: This fall, the project team has been hard at work shepherding the design through the required permitting processes as well as refining the play equipment selections.
May 2025: The City of Saint Paul Department of Parks and Recreation has Common Cent Sales Tax Funding and State Bonding to complete design and construction of Brewers Bluff Park Universally Accessible Play Area (Ward 3, District 9). The play area was included in the 2013 Brewers Bluff Park Long-Range Plan and community engagement was completed in 2016. Parks & Recreation is currently hiring a consultant to complete permitting and bidding in 2025 with construction completion anticipated for 2026.
October 2018: The Universally Accessible Play Area's design phase is 90% compete and has secured partial funding for construction, but is still seeking full funding to complete the construction phase.
More information on other design and construction projects within Brewers Bluff Park can be found here.
August 2018: Here are the renderings of the play area used for fundraising.
Tentative Timeline
| Summer 2025 | Design |
| Fall 2025 | Permitting |
| Spring 2026 | Bidding/Contracting |
| March 23, 2026 | Groundbreaking (4pm) |
| Spring-Fall 2026 | Construction (Pending Bids & Weather) |
Meetings
Meeting 4: Public Open House, Wednesday, October 5, 2016, 6 PM - 8 PM at Palace Community Center
Meeting 3: Wednesday, September 7, 2016, 6 PM - 8 PM at Palace Community Center
Meeting 2: Wednesday, August 3, 2016, 6 PM - 8 PM at Palace Community Center
Meeting 1: July 6, 2016, 6 PM - 8 PM at 740 Victoria Street South
Contact
Project Manager
Brett Hussong
Saint Paul Parks and Recreation
Brett.Hussong@ci.stpaul.mn.us
PH: (651) 266-6420