Submitted by Heather Andrea Ranck
You're invited to the Rotary Play Hill Groundbreaking! See you there!
Rotary Natural Play Hill and Bike Park Groundbreaking on June 15 Groundbreaking Kicks Off Construction With Anticipated Completion in the Fall The FM Rotary Foundation and the City of Moorhead will hold a Groundbreaking Ceremony on Thursday, June 15 at 4 p.m. to kick off the construction for the 1.26-acre Rotary Natural Play Hill and Bike Park at Riverfront Park. The event is open to the public and will include key design highlights about the project, recognition for donors, and a review of the goals for the project. The construction of the Play Hill and Bike Park will take place over the summer of 2023, with an anticipated completion in the fall. The project, in planning since 2018, will provide the community an inspiring hilltop play area overlooking the Red River, with opportunities for unstructured play, interactive learning and year-round outdoor physical activity. The play elements include a 26-foot high Tree House with a rope bridge to another tower, a zip line, log and boulder areas, tunnels, play mounds, balance beams, nets and climbing areas. A Bike Park has been included, with features including a teeter totter, log roller, tabletop plank, bridge deck, mounds, rock patch and sidewinder. The playground’s location was strategically selected for its proximity to downtown Moorhead, downtown Fargo, the Midtown Moorhead Bike Trail, a sledding / viewing hill, and proximity to a well used and lit cross country ski trail. The project, led by the 5 Fargo-Moorhead Rotary Clubs and FM Rotary Foundation, has raised over $1 million with the generous support of over 240 donors, including major donors the John Ballantyne Fund, the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau, Scheels Foundation, Sanford Health Foundation, KLJ Engineering and Essentia Health Foundation. Over 100 Rotary members have contributed to the project. To include all the design features, additional funds are needed, so fundraising is ongoing and 5-year pledges are available. The playground will be free and open to the public and upon completion, as the playground will be donated to Moorhead Parks, who will provide regular maintenance and upkeep. “Once completed, the Natural Play Hill and Bike Park will be a unique destination for kids throughout the Region” said Holly Heitkamp, Moorhead Parks and Recreation Department Director. Landscape Architecture services have been provided by Confluence, with Construction Management services are being led by Gast Construction.