The former “Hillcrest Golf Course” is now branded “The Heights” and includes 112 acres of land in the northeast corner of Saint Paul.  The Department of Parks and Recreation is overseeing the development of a 5 acre park which will serve the community within and around the Heights Development.  The park will be a great space for the community to come together and for both new residents and current residents to play, visit and relax.  A bathroom and picnic shelter will be the center of the site with futsal and basketball facilities, picnic areas, seating, a sledding area and public art. 

Project Timeline

  • Fall 2026-Late Summer 2027 Park Construction

Project Updates

10/27/2026 City Council Agenda for Wednesday October 28, 2026 includes a new name for the park. There is a desire from the community to provide a name and sentiment for this park which indicates a feeling of community and belonging.  On October 8, 2026 Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed and passed a resolution to recommend to the City Council the name Koom Siab Park (kong-SHEE-aah) for the new park at the Heights. The name means "to unite" or "to come together" in Hmong and represents the efforts from multiple agencies to expand the Greater East Side community and the future for this new area to be a strong community.  This will be the first Hmong name for a park in our system and in the State.  Minnesota has the second largest Hmong population in the country. The Greater East Side has the largest Hmong community in the Twin Cities.

10/19/2026 A groundbreaking celebration took place at the site of the new park on Thursday 10/19/2026.  Speakers included Mayor Kaohly Her, Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez, and representatives of our partners in The Heights; Saint Paul Port Authority and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.  As we get into construction, and a new name for the park, we will keep you posted. 

10/16/2026 Construction of the new park at the Heights is starting on October 19, 2026.  Final list of amenities includes a futsal/basketball court, picnic shelter and restroom building, picnic tables and grills, play area, public art "tree creatures," flexible lawn spaces, sledding hill, natural plantings and trees.  New name coming soon! 

9/10/2026 Construction of the new park at the Heights will start in Mid-October.  We are excited to see things shape up this year and expect the project to be complete in 2027

2/26/2026 The park is in the final design review phases before going out for bid.  Construction will begin once a contractor is chosen and paperwork is issued. Names for the park are currently being evaluated.  Thank you to everyone who put a suggestion forward.

12/03/2025 The City of Saint Paul and design team attended Bingo Night at Cups and Cheers on December 2nd. The team showcased the preferred concept for the project and gathered feedback from community members 

Preferred Concept and Survey Information

The City of Saint Paul and AFLA collaborated with various groups to develop the preferred concept. Meetings were held with Operations & Maintenance, Recreation Staff, and Natural Resources to help shape the design. Additionally, we’ve created a survey to help name the new park — scan the QR code to share your input!

Scan the QR code for the Survey

9/15/2025: We are currently drawing from the input we have from the community to date and finalizing a preferred concept.  The final concept plan will be posted after further refinement and development with City staff.   We anticipate having this ready in late October or early November.    

Community feedback has helped shape the revised concept plan for the new park at The Heights.
Overall, there was strong support for a mixture of both active and passive recreation opportunities.

Click below for survey results

The City of Saint Paul hosted a community engagement event on Tuesday, April 22nd at the Hayden Heights Library. During the meeting, we discussed existing conditions, overall site analysis, community engagement to date, public art, and the proposed site concepts and presentation boards are down below.

We invite you to share your thoughts by completing the additional survey linked below. Your feedback will help guide the next steps in the design process.

Take the survey to share your thoughts on the new park concepts—we’d love to hear from you!

This survey is closed

Concepts 1 & 2

The City of Saint Paul is hosting a community engagement event on Tuesday, April 22nd, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Hayden Heights Library. We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and ideas to help shape the new park at the Heights. Your feedback will play a key role in developing the park's design and amenities.

Come be a part of the conversation and help create a park that reflects the needs and vision of the community. Click the link below for more details!

On March 10th & 17th consultants and staff hosted a free art workshop at Hayden Heights Recreation Center. The participants were kids between 8-10. They collaborated with local artists and provided their ideas on what elements should be in the park. More information on the activity down below.

For more information on the full 112 acre development project at the former Hillcrest Golf Course site, visit the The Heights project webpage.