Soldiers Field remains potential landmark as $6.8M approved to start aquatics facility construction
May 23—ROCHESTER — The historic status of Soldiers Field Memorial Park was unchanged Tuesday shortly after the city's Park Board approved a potential $6.8 million contract related to the construction of a new aquatics center in the nearly 100-year-old park.
"That park is important as the heart of the city," Heritage Preservation Commission Chairman Mark Hubly said, in joining a 4-3 vote to oppose removing the park from a
2017 list of potential city landmarks
.
The commission was asked to remove the park, which developed from a 1926 concept, from the list following a
federally mandated review
that determined it is not eligible to be placed on the National Registry of Historic Places due to the number of changes since the park was created.
"While there is historic significance, and it meets that criteria, there is a question of integrity," said Molly Patterson-Lungren, Rochester's heritage preservation and urban design coordinator.
The review of the park was spurred by a $5 million federal grant for park renovations that are starting this year.
Historic concerns
Two Rochester residents — John Kruesel and Kevin Lund — attended Tuesday's commission meeting to discourage potential removal from a list of approximately 100 potential city landmarks.
Kruesel pointed to a
1934 speech by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
, as well as a
1937 experimental balloon flight
conducted by University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer Jean Piccard.
He said both occurrences in Soldiers Field Memorial Park should be considered important enough to declare the site an historic local landmark.
Patterson-Lungren acknowledged both events, but said the location of FDR's speech was coincidental, and it is unclear whether Piccard's studies had historic significance for Rochester as a city.
Lund focused on the nature of the park when encouraging the commission to maintain the option for deeming the park as a landmark.
"If the city is truly committed to heritage preservation and not just lip service, this community-owned and enjoyed asset should be landmarked to safeguard against any incursion by development forces contrary to the intent of those who created the space almost 100 years ago," he said.
As a property deemed a potential landmark, any significant changes requiring a permit must be reviewed by the Heritage Preservation Commission, while lesser changes are reviewed by city staff.
The status doesn't prohibit alterations to the park but adds to the level of oversight, according to Patterson-Lungren.
Commission member Nancy Bergner said the changes that have already occurred in recent decades have changed its historic significance but maintained the intent of its original mission.
"This park has always been used and changed in ways that serve its real purpose," she said.
Upgrades planned
Rochester Parks and Forestry Division Head Mike Nigbur said the removal of the park from the list of potential landmarks isn't likely to change its use since the
city plans $20.1 million in park upgrades
in the next 12 months.
Tuesday afternoon, the Park Board approved a construction contract for the main aquatic elements of the new facility, which will replace the existing pool.
A nearly $6.6 million bid from Eagan-based Global Specialty was the lowest of two received, beating the alternate proposal by more than $2.5 million, while also including options for a slide and added design support.
Nigbur said Global's price is roughly $1 million below the anticipated cost of constructing the pools and other aquatic features that will be included with the park update.
The Park Board approved up to another $200,000 to fund potential additions to the aquatics center, including a possible access ramp for one of the pools and walk-in area for the lazy river feature.
Nigbur said the board's approval is expected to keep the facility on track for opening by Memorial Day in 2024.
"They said they would be very surprised if they cannot make opening day for us," Nigbur said of discussions with Global.
The primary aquatics contract isn't the only cost for the new aquatics facility. The Park Board will review bids for pool demolition, electrical work, decking and work related to the bathhouse and pumphouse during future meetings.
With the changes planned, Patterson-Lungren said the Heritage Preservation Commission will likely need to review the plans and make a recommendation on whether they affect the potential historic significance of the park.
In the meantime, she told commission members that she would conduct more research related to the parks history to see whether she will recommend landmark status for all of the park or specific aspects of the park.
Hubly encouraged her to consider a recommendation as soon as possible to allow more input regarding the park's status, since a proposal for a landmark designation will require a public hearing and Rochester City Council decision.
"I know we have many other priorities here, but hopefully it's not something we have to wait on for much longer," he said.
