St. Paul: With demolition imminent, final Pedro Park design, renderings are unveiled

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press
Updated ·2 min read

As demolition crews prepare to make room for downtown St. Paul’s long-awaited Pedro Park, a final park design has come together on paper.

A landscape architect with St. Paul Parks and Recreation announced on Monday the department has completed the design process for the updated Pedro Park plan and published the final graphics for the long-term vision.

The architect has made available a one-page bird’s-eye-view rendering (shown above) along with 26 character sketches of visitors interacting with the park amenities.

The city floated three conceptual designs in February and chose one based in part on public feedback.

The final concept calls for a wedge-shaped green, with the block bisected by a curving, tree-lined walking trail that extends along both 10th and Robert streets in an arc. A park entrance at the intersection of the two streets would be marked by a plaza, terrace, fountain and splash pad. Potential amenities elsewhere in the park include a children’s play area, dog run, bee garden, pickleball court, park shelter, café tables and public art.

It may be years before the city finds funding to bring that vision to reality. The city has put fencing up around Pedro Park to prep for the imminent demolition of the public safety annex building, which has been vacant since 2018.

An interim park plan is still being developed as demolition details are finalized. The demolition is likely to wrap up in May.

The Pedro family donated its luggage store to the city in 2009 with the expectation that the city would build a two-acre park, or something close to that, within five years. The building was demolished in 2011, but little more than a temporary garden has ever been planted on the lot.

More information is online at stpaul.gov/pedropark.

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