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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Construction Scheduled to Begin on Five-Acre Park at The Heights as Saint Paul’s East Side Redevelopment Advances
SAINT PAUL, MN (October 19, 2026). Construction of a new five-acre park at The Heights is scheduled to begin Monday, adding a public recreation project to the redevelopment of the former Hillcrest Golf Course in northeast Saint Paul.
An October 16 update from Saint Paul Parks and Recreation identifies October 19 as the construction starting date. The department previously projected completion in 2027.
The final amenity list includes a combined futsal and basketball court, a picnic shelter and restroom building, a play area, picnic tables and grills, flexible lawn spaces, a sledding hill, natural plantings and trees.
Public art described as “tree creatures” is also included. The city says a new park name will be announced.
Recreation Space Within a Developing Neighborhood
The park occupies part of the 112-acre former golf course property now known as The Heights.
The city has planned it to serve both people moving into the development and residents of surrounding East Side neighborhoods. Its combination of courts, play equipment, gathering areas and open space reflects a design intended to accommodate several uses rather than a single organized sport.
A shelter and restroom building will provide a central facility, while the lawn areas and sledding hill extend the park’s planned use beyond court activities.
The project page documents community engagement that preceded the final design. That process included a public meeting at Hayden Heights Library, surveys, discussion with city recreation and maintenance staff, and art workshops involving children at Hayden Heights Recreation Center.
Those activities helped shape the preferred concept before the project moved through design review and toward construction.
Part of a Larger Housing and Employment Project
The Saint Paul Port Authority is leading the broader Heights redevelopment under the site’s 2022 master plan.
The city describes the development’s goals as approximately 1,000 new housing units, 1,000 living-wage jobs and new public green spaces. Those figures describe the planned development at completion, rather than the number of homes or jobs already delivered.
Sherman Associates is the lead housing developer, working with JO Companies and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. The larger project also includes a geothermal energy system and an Xcel Energy service center.
Construction across the former golf course began in July 2023. The park is a separate component overseen by Saint Paul Parks and Recreation.
The October construction milestone therefore concerns the start of work on the public park, not the opening of a completed recreation facility.
Residents can follow the city’s park project page for construction updates, the forthcoming name and eventual opening information.
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