Cascade celebration highlights latest park additions
Sep. 24—ROCHESTER — Residents of all ages gathered Sunday to celebrate the latest addition to a park that has its roots in a vision from the early 1990s.
"It's taken the work of hundreds of people over three decades to get the park where it is today," Park Board President Gary Neumann said from the newly built amphitheater.
Neumann, who recently joined the park board, served as assistant city administrator when former Mayor Charles "Chuck" Canfield and the Rochester City Council launched the project intended to create the city's "next Silver Lake."
"Like Silver lake, it was intended to be a gift for future generations," he said, pointing out the project's key decision points were in 1996 and 1997, shortly after Canfield moved from a council seat to the mayor's office.
Acknowledging Canfield's dedication to the park created at 88 23rd Ave. SW, former Mayor Ardell Brede, who defeated Canfield in a 2002 election, proposed dedicating the amphitheater to Canfield. The dedication ceremony kicked off events Sunday morning, with the former mayor's family and friends gathered at the site.
Nearby, children and parents were getting their first taste of other new park amenities, which include an expanded playground and play areas with a variety of climbing spaces and other features.
The $6.1 million in regional park upgrades, which were funded with a mix of state and local funds, also include a new pavilion and restrooms, as well as expanded walkways and parking.
While work continues on the park, Sunday's event was designed to highlight the achievements so far.
"We really want to be here to celebrate these latest additions to Cascade Lake Park," Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said of the event that included a variety of activities hosted by city departments and community partners.
