It was a beautiful Wednesday evening on June 3 as a parade of vehicles pulled into the parking lot at the newly established Creekside Park in the city of Carver.
A small crowd was gathering to celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official opening of the impressive public space.
Surrounded by lush green trees, native habitat and the picturesque Carver Creek, the park’s setting quickly prompted a collective deep breath as the cares of the day melted away.
Located at the intersection of Jonathan Carver Parkway and County Road 40, Creekside Park sits on the former site of Carver’s wastewater treatment plant, which was decommissioned about 15 years ago when the city joined the Metropolitan Council’s treatment system. The plan to use the property for a future park started coming together in 2024, with much of the work to develop the land happening in 2025.
Apart from the natural beauty, the park features two fenced and landscaped dog runs, plus four new pickleball courts.
In addition, more than 3,000 native plants and shrubs have been added to the park, helping to reduce erosion and improve the water quality of the creek.
In her brief comments prior to the ribbon cutting, Carver Mayor Courtney Johnson said the park project was made possible by more than $700,000 in outside grant funding — $350,000 from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation Grant program, $294,700 of Outdoor Heritage Funds, and $68,200 from the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund. City park dedication funds were also used to finish the park.
“I want to say a huge thank you to everybody who helped out with this park project,” she told those in attendance. “The pickleball courts have been busy, and the dog parks have been enjoyed. It’s just really good to see activity on this site.”
Johnson specifically thanked Great River Greening for the group’s help with creek stabilization, floodplain and woodland plantings, and contract management.
“The overall health of the creek has drastically been improved through the development of this park,” Johnson reported, noting that the creek eventually empties into the Minnesota River.
The mayor also offered kudos to the city staff members who worked hard to make Creekside Park a reality.
Project contractors were Midwest Wetland Improvements and Minnesota Native Landscapes. Additional project support was provided by GF (formerly Uponor) and the Minnesota Twins organization. Bolton and Menk completed the landscape design work for the park.
Following a festive ribbon cutting, Johnson said she expects Creekside Park to continue to grow in popularity as local residents discover its many amenities.
“We’ve been hearing from residents that they’ve wanted a dog park for a long, long time,” she said. “It’s cool to make that happen.”
Pickleball players also have been clamoring for more courts in Carver, she added, and the Creekside Park additions bring the community’s total number of courts to eight.
“I don’t think we can have enough pickleball courts at this point,” Johnson laughed. “There’s just such a high demand, and it’s a really great way to get exercise.”
