In the early 1990s, the Shoreview City Council acquired 40 acres of land in central Shoreview, Minnesota. It was then that they started putting together plans to create a central community gathering space-something the council felt was lacking as the city didn't have a typical downtown area.

A joint venture with the city council and staff resulted in the creation of the Shoreview Community Center at Shoreview Commons complete with city staff offices, ball fields, a regional library and more. Since then, the team has been working together to make improvements.

Serving Community Families
By the early 2000s, the city was focused on capitalizing on the popularity of the community center. They incorporated fitness facilities, community rooms and a pavilion to the outdoor space.

"We wanted to make sure our facilities all worked together," explained Terry Schwerm, recently retired city manager for the City of Shoreview. "The community center was becoming a popular place to be, and we needed a plan to bring our long-range vision to fruition."

Schwerm and his team realized they needed a strategy to help guide the future growth and development of Shoreview Commons. The community was becoming increasingly more diverse-in age, ability and background-and the city wanted to meet the needs of everyone.

"Our goal from the beginning was to serve all ages with a keen focus on families,"
said Schwerm.

Creating the Commons
After completing a renovation of the community center in 2018, the city began working on an updated master plan and focused on how to execute the first phase. The city connected with LHB, a full-service design firm located in Minneapolis, to assist with the overall master plan updates and the first phase improvements.

 
In addition to working with LHB, the city's project team toured a lot of facilities around the Twin Cities Metro and state to share examples of what they liked and how it might work for the Shoreview Commons project. Their focus narrowed to a new skatepark, gardens, decorative pond, trails and a nature-inspired playground. The goal was to design a space that offered recreational opportunities for an increasingly diverse community, while planning for a sustainable future with efficient water and energy use and improved stormwater handling.



"We wanted to bring people to the Commons' campus year-round," said Schwerm, "and the park and other recreational opportunities helped complement the activities we already had happening inside the community center."

Creating an Immersive Playground Experience
The vision for the playground was inspired by what Shoreview is-woods, water, marsh and wetlands. Nikki Schlepp and Jess Vetrano, landscape architects from LHB, embraced it as the basis for the design. The two wanted to create something unique that delivered an immersive experience.

"We looked at design precedents throughout the world and were inspired by natural forms and play spaces that directly integrate the landscape as part of the experience," explained Vetrano.

Their design process, which began during the height of the pandemic, included passing sketches back and forth, collaging everything from playground design elements to plants and site furnishings. And once they had a final concept in hand, they began reaching out to design and manufacturing partners.

"It was clear that Flagship Recreation and Landscape Structures understood our vision," said Schlepp. "The team offered a 'yes, and...' approach to our project by lending their expertise in how each playground zones could be built out to deliver the best experience for kids."



The result is a fully inclusive playground with multiple zones for various age groups linked by pathways. Upon entering the play space, visitors are met with a monumental piece-the tree house tower. This zone offers a fully ramped PlayBooster® playstructure, two custom-designed tree house towers and various climbers, slides, bridges, panels and more.

Further down the path is a zone filled with thrills for all ages and abilities. A Double ZipKrooz® with an accessible seat delivers the feeling of flying across the play space to everyone. Plus, more traditional playground swings offer high-flying fun. Across the way is a zone with a ninja-like obstacle course for teens and adults. The FitCore® Extreme course is perfect for any fitness level.

The marsh zone is where the original vision for the playground design is apparent. Sky-high cattail climbers, mushroom and log steppers, leaf-themed wall climbers and activity panels provide a variety of play experiences for kids of all ages and abilities. Even more, climbers, bridges and slides are built into mounds for additional fun and challenge. Nearby is a zone dedicated to hillside climbers and slides.



And the final zone is the climbing forest, which is a play space positioned at the top of a hill to provide a birds-eye view of the other play spaces. This zone delivers additional challenges in net climbers, another tower and other nature-inspired playground components. It is nestled into the mature oak grove to give kids the feeling of climbing through the treetops, while also delivering additional natural shade cover.

Attracting Visitors Near and Far
On Saturday, November 13, 2021, the Shoreview Commons playground opened to the delight of the local community. Families and children from Shoreview embraced the unexpectedly warm November and early December weather, eagerly exploring the playground's new offerings. The excitement culminated in a grand opening celebration in July 2022, attracting hundreds of families from neighboring areas and beyond.

"We are thrilled with the outcome of this project," Schwerm remarked. "Its design fosters creativity and exploration among children."

The introduction of the destination playground has significantly boosted visitor numbers at Shoreview Commons, enhancing its already diverse array of activities. The city has proudly conducted tours of the playground for various groups, including Kiwanis International and students from Anoka Technical College, as well as municipal staff from neighboring cities seeking inspiration for similar ventures.

In a notable accolade, the Shoreview Commons Destination Playground was honored with the Award of Excellence by the Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association in April 2022.