Challenges and Opportunities
The City of Stillwater faces an increasing demand for an expansion of places to "touch the river." Currently, the parks surrounding downtown Stillwater do not have enough safely accessible riverfront access points.
As one of Minnesota’s most bustling river towns, Stillwater has an opportunity to expand access to the riverfront, allowing people to connect with its natural beauty at Lumberjack Landing and Bridgeview parks. Both require substantial investments to ensure safe public access to the river, trails and outdoor amenities.
Lumberjack Landing
Located a quarter mile north of Historic Downtown Stillwater, Lumberjack Landing includes over half a mile of river shoreline and a sandy beach located near the Aiple residence, a well-known family home.
The Aiple residence has been sitting abandoned since it was purchased in 2014. With renovations, this home could support numerous outdoor recreational activities and educational programs for thousands of residents and nonresidents.
Lumberjack Landing is plagued by an overgrowth of vegetation, making public access difficult due to rough, unsafe terrain and unpaved trails that are not ADA accessible.
Several invasive species inhabit the park, posing a potential threat to natural wildlife and habitats.
The park lacks a safe and accessible trail through the property.
Bridgeview Park
Bridgeview Park is a 20-acre property located directly south of downtown Stillwater. Significant investments have been made at the park to enhance public safety, including minimal stabilizing of eroding shorelines for the relocation of the Bergstein buildings, clearing overgrown vegetation and protecting wildlife habitats.
While these efforts have been crucial in making Bridgeview Park a safer, more welcoming destination, ongoing improvements and renovations are necessary to address remaining challenges. Some of those challenges include:
Dense trees line the western edge of the park which cling to steep slopes.
Vegetation along the shoreline remains dense.
The Moritz Bergstein Shoddy Mill and Warehouse are two historic industrial buildings relocated from Oak Park Heights to Bridgeview Park in 2012 and have since been abandoned.
