The new St. Peter High School and accompanying road projects are reshaping the perimeter of the Coneflower Prairie. City of St. Peter Public Works has already installed a new water main on the prairie side of Gardner Road, and will be doing extensive work beginning this spring.
Plans call for a rounding of the corner at Jefferson and Gardner, asphalt paving of Gardner, and a roundabout at the intersection of Gardner and Broadway. This will be followed by a continuation of the sidewalk/trail along the edge of the Coneflower Prairie along Jefferson and Gardner. The walking trail may include one or two “rest stops” that may also serve as new walking entry points into the Coneflower Prairie.
All work is slated for completion before the end of the 2017 construction season. This project, as well as the opening of the new high school, will dramatically change traffic flow and visitation in and around the Arboretum. It should be interesting to watch those changes occur and develop new ways of drawing and engaging with visitors and students.
Scott Moeller, Arboretum Director and Naturalist