Woodbury’s Central Park is about to get a $42M makeover

Mary Divine, Pioneer Press
Updated ·5 min read

For Betul Cakir, the news that Central Park, the giant indoor gathering space in Woodbury, will close this spring is bittersweet.

Cakir, who moved to Woodbury with her family last summer, is happy that her favorite spot in her new hometown is getting a $42 million makeover, but she’s sad that her son, Mustafa Dilek, 5, will miss out on more than a year of playing in the indoor park and Lookout Ridge, the city’s popular indoor playground, which is slated to close at the end of February.

The rest of the indoor park will close sometime in March; both the park and Lookout Ridge are slated to reopen in the fall of 2025.

“It’s actually so sad, but it’s also exciting,” Cakir said. “We are eagerly awaiting the new and updated version of this community center.”

Cakir said she and Mustafa visit Central Park at least once a week. During a recent afternoon stop, Mustafa pleaded for a penny from his mother so he could make a wish in the pond at the bottom of the indoor park’s 15-foot waterfall.

The park, at 8595 Central Park Place, is part of a complex that includes the R. H. Stafford Library, a YMCA and Lookout Ridge. A skyway connects Central Park to the nearby care center Stonecrest Senior Living.

Central Park, which opened in 2002, needs significant updates “so that it can continue to attract visitors for years to come,” said Michelle Okada, the city’s director of parks and recreation.

Plans call for the addition of about 20,000 square feet of space, including an expanded west entrance area. There also will be energy-saving features such as solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling, more parking spaces, single-user and family restrooms, improved accessibility features and a multi-purpose space that can seat up to 350 people.

The pyramid-like architectural feature on the west side of the park will be removed. “We’re opening up that area and providing more day lighting into the lower level, particularly into Lookout Ridge,” Okada said.

More space means increased program opportunities for youth, teens, adults and seniors, she said.

“It’s really a combination of all of these things that make this such a successful project,” she said. “The biggest thing will be increased opportunities for people to gather in the park. We know we will be able to grow the use of this facility.”

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Lookout Ridge, which gets more than 23,000 visitors a year, “is a desired amenity, but has old, worn and damaged equipment; lacks natural lighting; has poor sightlines, adding to safety concerns; and is too small/crowded,” according to documents posted on the city’s website.

About $26 million of the project funding will come from the city and grants, Okada said, with no additional property tax levy needed. The state and Washington County also are contributing to the project.

In addition, the Minnesota Legislature granted the city a tax waiver for the project for building materials and supplies, she said.

Woodbury, population 77,000, has almost doubled in size since the facility was built, Okada said. The park attracts Woodbury residents and people from outside the community who enjoy coming and meeting friends, she said.

‘A nice indoor space’

Key to the building’s renovation will be to “keep the spirit of the original building,” Okada said. “We want it to be so that in the middle of winter, people can feel like they are sitting in an outdoor space.”

Lynn Erstad, of Lino Lakes, likes to sit on a bench at Central Park and do paperwork while waiting to pick up her grandchildren from school in Woodbury. She said she often brings a book and reads in the park.

“It’s a great space, especially on a day like today,” Erstad said on a chilly day last week. “I was just sitting here thinking, ‘I wish we had something like this up where I am.’”

Creating space for city-sponsored programming is another priority, Okada said. “That’s why we’ve really approached all of the additional space in the terms of multi-use. During the day we can host in our senior-focused areas the programs that they enjoy and that continue to grow and expand on and then in the evening, a community group might host a meeting or a neighborhood association meeting and then maybe on a Friday in March might be a wedding reception.”

Briana Kling, of Hudson, Wis., took a break from work last week to go to Central Park and eat a late lunch. “It’s a nice indoor space, especially in the winter,” she said. “I’m excited about the (renovation) plans in part because of the energy efficiency, and I’m glad to hear they are making it more handicap accessible.”

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Mo Muigai and her sister, Gina Muigai, regularly meet at the park to catch up and do some work together. Mo Muigai said she likes the tropical aspect of the venue. “I like that it’s a little humid, and I love to hear the water running,” she said. “It will be nice if it gets bigger and brighter.”

Mo Muigai said she and her children regularly visit the R.H. Stafford Library. The library, a branch of the Washington County Library system, is the fifth-busiest library in the metro area and sixth-busiest library in the state. It ranks sixth in total circulation of material in the state.

Patrons will still be able to access the library during construction, but through a separate outside entrance, Okada said.

“People are really, really excited about the project,” Okada said. “Many people use the space differently, and we hope that they’re able to continue to use it in a way that brings them joy.”