At a meeting held Dec. 7, about 30 interested citizens attended the unveiling of three preliminary proposals for a building to be located on a 32-acre regional park on land near the county’s Transfer Station. The land serves as a buffer for the Transfer Station/Recycling Center.

When the county recently updated its comprehensive plan, the wish for more natural and recreational areas in the county was noted and this park is one manifestation of this request. While many other potential adjacent land uses would not be compatible with the Transfer Station operations, making this land into a regional park with a sustainably built, net-zero-energy structure seemed like the perfect fit.

The building could be used as an environmental learning center, a place for children’s activities, and a headquarters for those wishing to walk through the adjacent park. Plans for the park include a forested area, a natural prairie area, a pollinator park, and a wetland. Fortuitously, the county received a grant to help pay for the planning of the building from University of Minnesota Extension’s Southeast Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership. Three ideas for the building designed by Richard Graves, Director of the Center for Sustainable Building Research and an associate professor in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota; Research Fellow Dan Handeen; and Graduate Research Assistant Madeline Juve, were unveiled at the Dec. 7 meeting. Participants were asked to select their favorite design and their favorite characteristics about each of the plans. The design team will present the winning plan at a Zoom meeting Jan. 6. That link will be posted when it becomes available.

To view a recording of the Dec. 7 meeting, visit: https://www.co.dodge.mn.us/departments/economic_development_authority/regional_park_information.php