Construction is expected to be completed in the fall
On Thursday, June 15 at 4 pm, the FM Rotary Foundation and City of Moorhead will commence the construction of the Rotary Natural Play Hill and Bike Park at Riverfront Park with a groundbreaking ceremony. This public event will cover essential design features of the 1.26-acre project, acknowledge donors and outline project objectives.
The Play Hill and Bike Park is set to be built during the summer of 2023 and is expected to be completed by the fall. This project has been in the works since 2018, and once completed, it will offer the community a thrilling play area on top of a hill, overlooking the Red River. This play area will provide opportunities for unstructured play, interactive learning, and year-round physical activity. Some of 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.
The playground now will feature a bike park that includes exciting elements such as a teeter-totter, log roller, tabletop plank, bridge deck, mounds, rock patch, and sidewinder. Its location was carefully chosen for its accessibility to downtown Moorhead and Fargo, the Midtown Moorhead Bike Trail, a popular sledding and viewing hill, and a well-lit cross-country ski trail.
The Fargo-Moorhead Rotary Clubs and FM Rotary Foundation are spearheading the project that has amassed over $1 million in donations from over 240 generous donors, including major contributors like 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 also contributed to the cause. Despite the impressive fundraising efforts so far, further funds are required to incorporate all intended design features and ongoing fundraising efforts include the option for 5-year pledges.
Once it’s finished, the playground will be available to the public free of charge. The facilities will be given as a donation to Moorhead Parks, which will be responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. Holly Heitkamp, Director of Moorhead Parks and Recreation Department, expressed that the Natural Play Hill and Bike Park will be an exceptional attraction for children all over the area. The landscape architecture services were provided by Confluence, and Gast Construction is leading the Construction Management services.
