Pershing Park Athletic Fields to Be Renovated

Renovations on the fields at Pershing Park kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony Monday.

The renovations will install an irrigation system in the fields to keep the turf in better playing condition. The park board will remove one small softball diamond in the northwest corner of the park and create more space for soccer. The fields will close for renovations late this summer. The project will be completed in September.

“The Pershing Park fields are a valued feature for of the Park and neighborhoods surrounding it,” said park board Commissioner Brad Bourn in a statement. “Properly irrigating these will provide a safer, more forgiving playing surface where youth and adult athletes can sharpen their skills.”

The project will cost $130,000, according to a park board budget, part of which is covered by an $80,500 grant from Hennepin County for youth sports. The rest of the cost is split between the Linden Hills and Fulton neighborhood organizations, Southwest Athletic Council and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

A similar renovation concluded at Armatage Park last week.