VIEW THE PHOTO ALBUMS
BEFORE
AFTER
These partners funded this historic $225,000 project:
City of St. Louis Park
Nordic Ware
St. Louis Park Historical Society
Donations to the ‘Save the Beehive’ Fund
How it was revived
Lilac Park required true artisans to bring it back to life. It took two years of planning, a year of renewal and a team of dedicated workers.
Formerly known as St. Louis Park Roadside Park, it is located at the southeast corner of Highway 100 & Highway 7/County Road 25 in St. Louis Park, MN. Map
The beehive fireplace was moved from the original Lilac Park. After work was completed, this park’s name was changed to Lilac Park, to honor a lost park.
When completed, the team had
- moved beehive fireplace and limestone picnic table from original Lilac Park at Highway 100 and Minnetonka Boulevard on Oct. 22, 2008, to this park for renewal
- revived historically significant structures
- added new features
- installed new trail connection to Southwest Regional Trail
- replaced landscaping, inspired by the original 1939 plan
- cleaned and renewed limestone tables
- built limestone patterned cement concrete bases for five picnic tables
- resurfaced circular internal biking/walking trail (formerly a roadway)
- implemented interpretive park and trail signage, designed by Karen Laukkonen of Restore Lilac Way
- provided a lasting legacy honoring MnDOT and the Minnesotans in the WPA
Lilac Park, 10 Years Renewed
Renovation process photo album
Grand Opening 2009 photo album
This renovation was made possible with the dedication of these generous partners:
City of St. Louis Park
St. Louis Park Historical Society
Wayside Park / Beehive Restoration Committee
MN Department of Transportation
Nordic Ware
Concrete Etc.
Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority
Laukkonen Design
MN Department of Natural Resources
MN Historical Society
MN State Historic Preservation Office
Otting House Movers
Three Rivers Park District
Meet the true heroes behind this park’s revival.
- RICK BIRNO, Park Superintendent, wrote the proposal, got funding from the City, worked closely with MnDOT, hired the contractors, and planned the Grand Opening
- JIM VAUGHAN, City Staff – Parks and Recreation
- KATHY JOHNSON, JEANNE ANDERSEN, BOB JORVIG, BOB and BARBARA REISS of the St. Louis Park Historical Society
- BRUCE CORNWALL, Resident/Park Commissioner
- BETTE DANIELSON, Nordic Ware
- MIKE McGARVEY, Resident/Landscape Architect
- CHRIS REISS, Resident/Rotary Club
- ELIZABETH WALTON, Minnesota Department of Transportation
- ADAM FULTON, MEG McMONIGAL and SEAN WALTHER, City Staff – Planning
- BILL THURSTON AND CITY STAFF – Engineering
More resources
Karen Laukkonen at Restore Lilac Way designed the graphics for the large system kiosk and smaller trail signage for Lilac Park.
Watch the beehive fireplace move from the old Lilac Park at Minnetonka Blvd. to the new Lilac Park on Highway 7. According to the SLPHS: In mid-September 2008, Otting Movers dug up the structure and put it on a trailer. On October 22, the beehive was towed down Minnetonka Blvd. to Ottawa, down Ottawa across Highway 7, and down the service road that serves Nordic Ware to Roadside Park. Thanks to the expertise of the movers, the structure survived the move in perfect condition. Afterwards, the Ottings exclaimed: “That’s the smallest building we’ve ever moved!”