Grand Marais Park Board approves proposal for master plan

The Grand Marais Park Board is moving forward with updating the 2009 Grand Marais Recreation Park Master Plan. 

During the Feb. 7 meeting, park board members approved a bid from HKGi, a Twin Cities-based company. HKGi was the only company to bid on the master plan proposal. 

Dave Tersteeg, the Grand Marais parks and recreation director, said, “HKGi has a proven track record of creating these master plans and submitting them to the state and getting recreation areas into that regionally significant pool.”

The park board intends to seek funding through the Minnesota Legacy Fund to make improvements at the recreation park. However, to do so, Tersteeg said they need a “robust master plan that included many elements that were missing from the 2009 plan.”

The estimated cost to hire HKGi to formulate a master plan is $50,000 to $70,000 and will take nearly six months. Included within the proposal from HKGi were numerous examples of previous master plan projects in Moorhead, Elk River, Sherburne County, Stearns County, Benton County, and Wright County. 

The park board members unanimously approved hiring HKGi to conduct the master plan for the Grand Marais Recreation Park. Tersteeg said the next step is for the city council to review and make the final approval. If approved by the city council, the master planning process will commence in March.  

Tersteeg said public input and planning would be a large piece of this project. “We saw lots of interest back in 2009,” he said. “It’s very much rooted in community engagement and public opinions.”

WTIP’s CJ Heithoff spoke with Tersteeg, the Grand Marais parks and recreation director following the Feb. 7 park board meeting. Audio from the interview is below. 

Kalli Hawkins February 10, 2023