Fred Richards Eco-Park: Master Plan

Fred Richards Eco-Park: Master Plan

Edina, Minnesota

Listening to the community and collaborating with City staff, a visionary master plan was created to transform a nine-hole municipal golf course into a nature-based community park.

Confluence led a team to develop a precedent-setting project that integrates over 15 acres of restored wetland banking, 30 acres of prairie and wetland plantings, and extensive pathway to play loops focused on ecology, learning, and outdoor activities. Other elements include unique natural playground elements, the existing clubhouse retrofitted into a multi-use park building with a beer garden, a series of learning spaces, a regional bicycle trailhead and a multi-use community field.

Confluence also facilitated numerous community open houses, stakeholder meetings and surveys to collect input from over 1,500 residents and related agencies. We also undertook an extensive research-based exploration of the site’s history, the community's values, and related planning studies and environmental analysis that informed the resulting design recommendations.