Dog Park Gets Funding Go-Ahead

According to the Star-Tribune, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has given the green light to a new dog park in Southwest Minneapolis.

Long in the making, the dog park will be built on the site of a parking lot at the Park Board building on King's Highway, next to Lyndale Farmstead Park.

The park hasn't been without controversy, though. Originally slated for Kingfield's Martin Luther King Jr. Park, that option was rejected after public outcry over what opponents said was a slight to the memory of the slain civil rights leader. Some local leaders opposed the East Harriet site during a citizen-lead selection process. Over the course of planning the project, its costs doubled as designers grappled with drainage issues. 

Now, with a budget of $191,000, construction is set to begin later this year, with a temporary opening to come soon. Southwest Minneapolis' Park Board commissioner Brad Boune defended the cost to the Star-Tribune.

Bourn said it represents .003 percent of the board's capital and operating budget of $60 million. "Even at this price, it is less expensive than other amenities we build that serve fewer people. It is cheaper than a baseball field, it's cheaper than a tennis court, it's cheaper than a wading pool," Bourn said