Battle Creek Waterworks is closed for the summer. Here’s why.

Kids of Ramsey County we have bad news and good news First the bad news Battle Creek Waterworks that popular waterpark designed for younger kids and located within Battle Creek Regional Park is temporarily closed for the entire summer Now the good news The facility to be renamed Battle Creek Waterpark will reopen in after an approximately million renovation and maintenance project that will incorporate specific new features and amenities as well as updated mechanicals and more We needed to get the word out there about the closure and the excitement that is coming says Kristopher Lencowski director of park operations for Ramsey County Parks and Recreation But what about this summer For this corner of the metro the niche waterpark is a popular spot for families to cool off serving about people over the discipline of those precious weeks that Minnesota calls summer Mostly we re directing people to the beaches Lencowski says Ramsey County has nine swimming beaches that officially open Memorial Day weekend and St Paul s swimming beach at Phalen Regional Park is also an option Another waterpark alternative is Como Regional Park Pool It s inevitably painful to have a facility you know and love close for a certain amount of time Lencowski acknowledges However after looking at issues and delays that could crop up in a more rushed timeline think of any snafu you ve seen when they start opening up walls on an aging structure on an HGTV show Lencowski noted it became clear they couldn t take the chance We mentioned Let s make sure we do it right ' he stated Construction is slated to begin soon A -year-old waterpark Erin Roth of Vadnais Heights gives the -foot-long water slide a test at the Battle Creek Waterworks in Maplewood on May during a preview before the park opened Joe Oden Pioneer Press The waterpark opened in nearly years after selected sort of water facility was proposed for the area Called the Battle Creek Waterworks the Pioneer Press wrote in a preview that year the million facility is not a swimming pool It is more of a water playground Although Waterworks makes it sound like several sort of water restoration facility it was named to highlight its focal point located within a shallow pool a climbing structure with pipes and valves that could be used for water play The park was also designed to include a -foot-tall -foot-long water slide that emptied swimmers into a -foot-deep plunge pool Plans for this attraction date to when the master plan for Battle Creek Regional Park was drawn to include water play for this southeast corner of the county since the nine natural beaches are located on the northern end of Ramsey County The process sped up in the s when the county qualified for million from the Metropolitan Council for the project Related Articles Hoyt Lakes near Duluth in ready stage as fires continue St Paul businesses call sinkhole timing a small blessing Woodbury names five finalists for city s top post Third wildfire prompts evacuations north of Duluth in St Louis County Park Grove Library to close for M redesign open house set The first plan envisioned a sand-bottom swimming pool in the southern section of the park That proposal we published drew strong opposition from nearby residents and others who revealed such a pool would infringe on the natural quality of that part of the -acre park The pool they announced would attract traffic and people to what basically is a passive part of the park After much populace debate the facility was moved to what park personnel call the activity area where there is a picnic pavilion and playground Although not all residents liked the move Jody Yungers of the Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Division notified the Pioneer Press in that the shift was a good one Because the community spoke up the design of the facility was changed and we are ending up with a very attractive fun facility in a very attractive setting she mentioned The waterpark opened on May with the Teddy Bear Band in attendance and a magic show in celebration At the time admission was In the present it will increase to when the refreshed park reopens in with twilight fees or admission after p m increasing from to Potholes rust and broken tiles Tiles have fallen from pool exposing the disintegrating concrete at Battle Creek Waterworks waterpark at Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood on Wednesday May The popular water fun gathering place will be closed for the season as it undergoes renovations John Autey Pioneer Press If you are following the waterpark signs to Waterworks at Upper Afton Road E a road within Battle Creek Regional Park leads onto a bumpy parking lot of patching and potholes Signs alerting the inhabitants to the closure aren t posted yet but they will be soon For now the low-slung building is empty and quiet construction hasn t started quite yet The building itself is in pretty good shape but the waterplay area is showing the need for a redo Cracks in the concrete pool decking broken pool tiles at the bottom of the empty pool rust on several of the faded aging play structures Pool chemicals and Minnesota winters Lencowski says can be tough on outdoor water parks Kristopher Lencowski director of park operations with Ramsey County talks about the updates the county will be making at Battle Creek Waterworks located within Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood on Wednesday May The facility to be renamed Battle Creek Waterpark will reopen in after specific updating and refreshing that will include new features and amenities John Autey Pioneer Press We ascertained ourselves working harder and harder to catch up with the maintenance demands of the facility Lencowski disclosed Every year when they d reopen the pool there were tiles falling off the wall The heaters for the pool the interior parts of it were starting to get corroded so that was going to need to be replaced There was starting to be rust on chosen of the columns It just built up and built up A plan was needed for the waterpark s future We did a feasibility inquiry about three years ago Lencowski says And then two years ago the Legislature had given us various modernization funds for the regional park system And so that was really the capital we needed to get moving forward on it The funding for the approximate million project is coming from state general obligation bonds million modernization funds general fund million and Legacy Amendment Parks Trails funds mostly for the parking lot million Ramsey County is partnering with Damon Farber Landscape Architects and Terra Construction on the project Updated accessible and fun Battle Creek Waterworks located within Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood on Wednesday May The facility will be closed for the summer season reopening in after particular updating and refreshing that will include new features and amenities John Autey Pioneer Press So what s changing In addition to the mechanical and surface updates there will be more seating more shade and more play options Specific highlights of the project include Mechanical pool and play structure repairs Power and efficiency enhancements New shaded seating areas and non-water play spaces ADA accessibility upgrades Parking lot repaving Stormwater system repairs and upgrades Now the water park s pool deck opens up to a sandy play area to the left with the focal point the Waterworks play structure at its center The big waterslide with the deeper pool is to the right There s not much shade Now picture next summer The sandy play area a messy option for pools will be gone replaced with playhouses and other non-water play options The Waterworks play structure will be replaced thus the need for a new name and tiered seating will rise above the area providing more seating and shade There will be hammocks too An architectural rendering shows what Ramsey County s outdoor waterpark in Maplewood will look like after a remodeling and maintenance project that is keeping it closed for the season Damon Farber Landscape Architects Ramsey County Parks and Recreation The deeper pool will include a ball play area for bigger kids and adults as well as the refurbished waterslide There will also be a mural created by a local artist stay tuned Related Articles Woodbury getting a PGA Tour Superstore this summer More fun than I ever imagined Stillwater gondolier starts th season on the St Croix Skywatch Crowded space Here s how a local nonprofit is connecting people with horses for free Northwoods comes to life with sounds of spring during evening by campfire Be Graceful Bakery and Catering has provided concessions within Waterworks but the food options are heading outside We will now move food options outside the facility with food trucks in the parking lot Lencowski says That will be huge because it can serve the whole park and you will be able to bring food inside the waterpark They hope it s worth the wait especially for those about ages and under and their families It does have a nice niche in the Twin Cities serving the younger demographic says Lencowski We know the closure will be impactful for people Learn more about this project at ramseycounty us residents parks-recreation beaches-water-park waterworks