For the City Times

STEVENS POINT — On Sunday, August 26, about 100 community residents gathered at the site of the newest addition to the City’s park system to dedicate Emerson Park.

The site is the location of Emerson School which was built in 1892 and was part of the City school district. In 1983 the district was changed to a unified school district and all related property was turned over to the new Stevens Point Area School District. In 2002, the building was razed and buried onsite.

“Since that time the site has been used as a neighborhood park, but no improvements were made”, said Mayor Mike Wiza. “The process has been worked on by three different Mayors and several Superintendents to return this property back to the city and create an official park.”

The City Parks Department is currently formulating a long term plan for the area. The citizen group, Friends of Emerson Park, have been instrumental in keeping the project front and center.

“I am so honored to have been a part of this process, as both an alderperson and as co-founder of the Friends of Emerson Park,” said Council President, Meleesa Johnson.  “To watch a grassroots group coalesce around a common cause and then work with both the city and school district to “seal the deal” is what community is all about.  Now we need to roll up our collective sleeves to raise the funds to make Emerson Park the shining jewel of our urban core.”

Mayor Wiza has committed to providing a city park within a 10 minute walk for all residents.

Emerson will be the first park dedicated in an area of the City core, and will increase the number of parks in Stevens Point to 32, providing over 800 acres of public park space. According to https://parkserve.tpl.org/ 87% of residents currently have a park within a 10 minute walk of their home.

More information can be obtained by contacting the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department at 715-346-1531