Some new public ammenities could soon be constructed in Edina. Kuhlman Stadium will have a new look in the future with the entrance enhanced by a paver plaza. The pavers will represent donations for two brand new turf fields taking the place of the old grass football field next to the water tower.
Edina families and community members are raising money to establish new turf fields next to Kuhlman Stadium. The two fields are meant for multiple sports including football, soccer, and lacrosse. The Edina Youth Associations are trying to keep Edina athletes involved and on good surfaces. Led by the Edina Football Association, the Edina Youth Associations have partnered with the Edina School District for the first time in order to establish the new turf fields.
“We will be able to maximize the area of the upper field and fit two full sized fields instead of the current configuration,” Paige Rickert, an Edina Football Association board member said. He goes on to share the benefits of turf fields, “Turf stands up to weather better than grass which means fewer cancelled practices and games. Also, turf is considered better than grass from an environmental standpoint because you no longer need to water it, mow it, or put down fertilizer. Lastly, the rain water is filtrated through the turf and hits our sewer system in better condition than if it was just running off a grass field.”
Funds for the project are being raised by selling two different sizes of paver blocks for $500 and $1,000. The blocks will have the name of the donating family inscribed, and will fill up a whole plaza. The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.6 million.
While athletics are trying to raise money, the Edina City Hall is saving money by going green. The city hall may also look different soon, as a project to establish solar panels on its roof to cut down on electricity usage is in process.
The solar panels will help to decrease the electrical costs of the building. Although the total cost of the project is $200,000, City of Edina Utility Engineer Jessy Struve said, “Ultimately through grants and rebates, there are no costs to the citizens of Edina.” He explained that the city received $80,000 from the state government, and the remaining $120,000 is being received in two rebates: part from the State, as a Minnesota Made incentive program (the vendor, 10K Solar, is a Minnesota company) and the second rebate is from Xcel Energy. The estimated annual savings on electricity is $1,500.
Besides the City Hall going green, our school has changed its recycling process as of this year. You may have noticed that we recycle paper and plastics into the same bin. “We are now in a single string recycling program. This means that we now have only one recycling bin rather than two,” said co-leader of Edina High School’s Planet Earth group, Tim Sheehan. Tim adds that so far it is going great.