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NORTH MANKATO — The city of North Mankato is likely to qualify for a $50,000 grant to go toward building an outdoor fitness court that would allow the public to use it free of charge during the warm weather months.
But the City Council is slowing down the process to first see if it can find partners to raise the needed $110,000 local match and to take a more comprehensive look at the needs of the major parks in the city and potential amenities that could be added to them in the future.
“There have been people with a lot of good ideas for future things for the parks,” said Mayor Scott Carlson. He believes the council wants to convene its parks advisory group to develop a plan for parks as well as revisiting the outdoor fitness court idea.
City Administrator Kevin McCann said the city is planning an updated comprehensive parks plan next year, something that was last done about eight years ago.
“So we’ll look at that and see where this (fitness court) might fit in with that.”
McCann said it appears the city would still be eligible to get the $50,000 grant next year.
The city had submitted a grant application to the San Francisco-based National Fitness Campaign and is eligible for a $50,000 grant from the group. Carlson said the National Fitness Campaign is a private company that has various health care partners, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, with the aim of expanding public fitness amenities.
“We didn’t want to get pushed into this if it didn’t make sense,” Carlson said of the fitness court project. “My goal was that if we can find a partner to help with at least another $50,000, we should jump on it. It would add another fitness area available to anyone for about seven months a year.”
The mayor said it’s a good time to update the long-range plan for parks.
“We have new leadership in the city and we really haven’t finished looking at our visions for Benson and Wheeler and Spring Lake parks,” Carlson said.
He said residents have suggested adding features such as a disc golf course, trails and pickleball courts at parks.
He said the parks advisory committee could look at new amenities for parks and where they make the most sense to be placed.
Several communities around the country are building or have constructed fitness courts through the National Fitness Campaign.
The fitness courts are designed for those age 14 and older of all abilities because the workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels and allow participants to move at their own pace.
There is an app available to show people how to use each fitness station.
The National Fitness Campaign suggests the courts be placed amid existing park and trail amenities, such as near bike and walking trails and basketball or tennis courts.
The group says the courts should be built in an area that is easy to monitor to prevent misuse and a distance from playgrounds to discourage young kids from using the court.
The National Fitness Campaign says that in the last six years it and its partners have raised $100 million to support healthy infrastructure.
Their website said the U.S. life expectancy has experienced the largest two-year decline in almost 100 years and that preventable diseases caused by inactivity continue to rise. By 2030 it is estimated that 50% of Americans will be obese.
The group encourages cities to design and support healthy infrastructure to encourage people to spend more time outdoors.
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