Overview

The City of Saint Paul Department of Parks and Recreation has allocated funding from the City's new Common Cent sales tax funding source for park improvements at Groveland Recreation Center. This project includes improvements to the existing fields, tennis courts, play area, and related amenities, drainage, and accessibility on site. The play area and fields west of the school will remain open for children to recreate freely as usual.  

Thank you for your enthusiasm for this project - we are excited to see your vision come to fruition! Please reference this site for updates on the progress.  

The construction schedule depends on many variables, but we are prioritizing advance communication with Recreation staff and SPPS leadership.

Project Updates 

As work progresses, please be mindful and stay of construction activities and stay out of work areas. 

We appreciate your patience during this work and will do everything we can to minimize disruption to the surrounding area. We continue working as efficiently and safely as possible. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us directly.

Access:  

  • The play area and field west of the school are not part of the construction project and remain open for children to recreate.   
  • On Election Day, measures will be in place to have the main entrance temporarily open and accessible from St. Clair and Sargent. 
  • The main entrance of Groveland Recreation Center will be temporarily closed as soon as Thursday October 22nd. Signs on site will indicate alternate access points off of Sargent that lead directly into the gym and into Smore Fun.  
  • ADA access requires entrance from St. Clair through construction and will also be signed.
aerial image of Groveland Recreation Center and Groveland Elementary with arrows showing where temporary access will be at times that the main entrance to the recreation center is closed for construction purposes.

Construction:

  • Unanticipated legal easement and contractual hurdles to secure required permits shifted the start date of construction to Fall 2026. 
  • Groveland is a complex site with multiple programs, users, and adjacent ownerships which factor into the planning and schedule for the renovations. We are prioritizing safety and access during construction.
  • The new "Blue Playground' is currently under construction and is planned to be open Spring 2027. 
    • While we were ambitions that opening up the play area this Fall was a possibility, we must prioritize safety and complete all necessary work and checks before we can open the amenity. 
    • Sidewalks and access to and for the play area need to be completed and the timing on those depends on getting storm infrastructure in place. These interdependencies are critical to the construction schedule.
    • Although it is warmer than usual this fall, anticipated weather conditions indicate night temperatures being below 45 degrees.  This effects our ability to install several materials including adhesives, poured in place, etc. due to the curing requirements.
  • Court improvements and field improvements will begin Spring 2027. 

Groveland Ice Rinks 

  • Groveland Ice Rinks will be open this winter.  We have scheduled construction around the 2026-2027 season. The City is in regular communication with the Groveland Ice Rinks organization. 
Project Scope:

The park will include a reconstruction of the play area, courts, and fields as well as new ADA circulation from St. Clair and stormwater management.  

Fall construction includes the construction of the play area, and some concrete work on the west side of the park. 

2027 construction will include new tennis and basketball courts but will focus on the east side of the park with additional stormwater measures and field improvements.

The park will have improved drainage and stormwater treatment, which includes an underground stormwater storage system and a rain garden with native plantings to capture and manage runoff from the site. Circulation improvements will also meet accessibility requirements for the park.  

While we make every effort to protect existing trees, accessibility and stormwater measures will require the removal of four trees near the playground and tennis courts due to the grade changes and proximity to the walkway reconstruction. Trees and vegetation to remain will be protected during construction.

The project adds new plantings across the site, including 19 new trees, 27 shrubs, and 70 perennials.  Six trees will replace the trees that are being removed as a result of stormwater and access requirements. See PDF down below for proposed improvements vs. existing conditions.

September 18, 2026

Playground construction begins Monday, September 21st. 

A digital rendering shows proposed playground at Groveland, featuring swings, slides, and play towers. Multiple accessible play elements are shown,.
A digital rendering shows new playground design at Groveland, including swings, slides, and play towers. Multiple accessible play features are shown.

Access through Groveland Rec Center will be maintained. Construction for the greater site will take place in the spring of 2027. Stay tuned for updates! 

August 21, 2026


The Groveland Recreation Center Site Improvement project has been bid and awarded to Rachel Contracting. The schedule will be to start construction this fall and start with the play area and courts.  Next year's work will be to update the athletic fields.  We are excited to get this work underway and will keep this website updated regularly.  Thank you!

Play Area

We worked with one of our leading play equipment vendors to develop a plan for play area improvements. At the end of January, we engaged approximately 250 Groveland Elementary 2nd – 5th grade students. The students reviewed play area concepts and provided feedback on their preferences of play equipment layout and components. You can use this link to view a concept rendering of the proposed play area.

The play area improvements will include separate structures for 2-5 and 5-12 year old kids. There will also be some independent events such as a spinning feature, tactile panel, brava swing, and traditional swings for children of all ages and abilities. One of the most unique pieces of the play area is a slide with an integral transfer station and incline which broadens play area accessibility. The play surfacing will be primarily engineered wood fiber. Between the play area and tennis courts there will be new benches, picnic tables, and trees.

Tennis/Basketball courts

The Tennis and Basketball courts will be reconstructed in their current location. 

Ballfields/Ice skating

The layout of the baseball fields and ice skating area will remain relatively unchanged. The ballfields will be improved with new backstops and dugouts (at grade). We will be improving accessible walk connections to both fields. The grades of the fields and ice skating surface will be shaped in order to shed water from the fields, yet flat enough to facilitate ice making. We coordinated with both baseball and ice skating stakeholders for these planned improvements. 

Site accessibility

A combination ramp and stair will be reconstructed from St. Clair to the play area and Recreation Center entrance. A new accessible route will be provided to the warming house and baseball field. A new accessible route will connect the sidewalk along Sargent and the Tennis/basketball court area. These routes will provide better accessibility to all areas of the site.