Splash Pad

Due to the deteriorated condition of the Madelia Municipal Wading Pool and the reoccurring flooding conditions at Watona Park as well as the age and condition of its playground equipment. The Madelia Community Foundation is asking for your support in the construction of a second park located out of the floodplain, with a splash pad water feature, new playground equipment, as well as restrooms and shade structure to provide another recreational area for the youth of Madelia and the surrounding area.

A group of proactive citizens and community leaders have joined forces with the Madelia Community Foundation (formally Madelia Strong) to undertake the fundraising and construction of this secondary park location and its amenities. The Madelia Community Foundation was the fundraising organization that grew out of the Main Street fire and was pivotal in making the rebuilding of Madelia’s Main Street the success story it has become. We would like to use the momentum that resulted from that recovery effort to build a space that can be used by this community and its visitors that is safe and inviting for children and their parents to enjoy through play!

This new park will be constructed on the east side of town near the intersection of Flanders and Gage Avenues. It will serve as another option for the youth of Madelia and the surrounding area to play and enjoy the outdoors in a safe and inclusive environment. The splash pad will let youth play in the water without a risk for drowning and allow children without swim training a way to cool themselves in the heat of the summer. It is the hope of the organizers that the addition of this splash pad park will serve our residents as well as add to a growing number of activities out of town visitors come to Madelia to explore and enjoy. The park will be well lit to provide safety and discourage any misconduct. The splash pad features will have interactive activation as a way of preserving water, and the entire structure will be able to be shut down during off hours and when temperature is not conducive. The committee also has discussed options for storing discharged water for use as park irrigation.

Sarah and Dustin VanHale saw the need and own the vision for this project and remain a driving force behind this initiative and can be reached at (contact info). They have assembled a committee of community residents to help with the design and fundraising and partnered the Madelia Community Foundation as the 501(c)(3) for fundraising oversight and administration.

The new park will be constructed in three phases. The splash pad component as phase 1, a restroom shade structure as phase 2, and new modern playground equipment and soft surfaced play area as phase 3. There are also ongoing discussions of a possible parking area if on street parking proves inadequate.

If fundraising efforts are successful, the construction of Phase 1 could begin in Spring 2024 with all phases reaching completion by fall of 2026. A funding milestone of $160 thousand will be needed to start construction on phase 1. Phase 2 will come at cost estimate of $200 thousand and the 3rd phase would come at a cost of an addition $400 thousand. If the construction of a parking lot is deemed a necessity a 4th and final phase of fundraising would be required for construction.

We are in the beginning phases of the fundraising effort but hope to secure funding of the first phase of construction no later than April 2024. The following phases will ideally be funded by no later than the end of 2025 for a final project completion in 2026.

The park will be constructed on a portion of vacant lots 2-10 of Stone’s subdivision near the intersection of Flanders and Gage Aves. The land purchased by the VanHale’s was secured after 18 months of searching for a location. The location is in a growing residential area and within blocks of the Main Street Highway 60 exit which should make it easy to find for out-of-town visitors. This area is within walking distance of 5 multi-family residential complexes as well as the high school and hospital. This area provides a diverse location that should give organizers a wide range of design options for site layout and development. After reaching out to neighboring residents there is excitement as to what this project can provide to their neighborhood and the community.

Our plan is through a combination of a grass roots fundraising, grant funding, large corporate donors, and in-kind donations of labor and materials from our local contractors, we can reach our goal to complete the project in a three-year construction window. Upon completion the park will be donated to the City of Madelia and become part of the municipal park and rec system. After donation the operation of the park will become the responsibility of the city along with any associated costs.

It is the hope of the Madelia Community Foundation, and all involved that a successful fundraising campaign could be used as a blueprint to help fund other community-based projects that align with Madelia’s comprehensive plan and could benefit our community and make it an even better place to call home.
If you have interest in donating, volunteering, or would like more information about the project and people involved please contact.