BROOKINGS Updates on park changes, the water sourcing project at Edgebrook Golf Course and more were provided at the August meeting of the Brookings Park & Recreation Advisory Board.
Numbers are a key part of the and more, with totals for next years proposed capital improvement plan adding up to:
$1,147,362: Park facilities. Roughly $500,000 of that total will go to the Fifth Street Gym for improvements such as a fire suppression system, fire alarms and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements for the front.
Some of those really essential improvements that we needed to make happen, Park, Recreation & Forestry Director Kristin Zimmerman said.
Other improvements are also in the works beyond 2026 for the gym, which was acquired by the city from the Brookings School District earlier this year. The list of those improvements is extensive and, per previous reporting in the Brookings Register, are expected to add up to an estimated $2.6 million.
$318,190: Larson Ice Center
$250,000: Trails
$227,750: Edgebrook Golf Course
$135,000: Vehicles
$93,911: Public art
$25,000: Tree planting
$15,000: Brookings Activity Center
Beyond planned improvements, a number of activities are scheduled for the winter months at the Fifth Street Gym. These include things such as pickleball and open-shooting basketball for active older adults, along with a winter walking club thats open to the public. Adult leagues for volleyball and basketball will continue as well, along with a new addition: dodgeball.
The Brookings Farmers Market will make its indoor debut on Nov. 15 at the gym as well. Other groups that will use the facility include Brookings Youth Volleyball and Special Olympics. On top of that, plans are being made for possible special events, such as a zombie or monster adult prom along with community dances and more.
Edgebrook
Moving on to the golf course, board members learned more about the aforementioned water-sourcing project, a years-long effort to ensure a steady water supply at the course thats nearing fruition.
After (Edgebrook) is closed for the season, theyll start most of the work on golf course property, Zimmerman said. Then theyll connect over to BMU in the spring with us being able to turn on the water this coming spring which is cautiously (the) best-case scenario.
The work will connect Edgebrook to raw water thats water straight from the aquifer with no treatment from a Brookings Municipal Utilities line near where the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern rail line passes under Interstate 29.
Its not only water thats being focused on, either: Improvements are set for the courses clubhouse as well, with minor upgrades planned in the off season, such as repainting, carpeting and new patio furniture.
It hasnt been touched in, I would say, a decade or so, Zimmerman said. Were going to see how the bid goes out for water sourcing and that might open up some additional funds. Our priority is the water sourcing right now, so were not putting in a lot of money into the clubhouse until we can figure out, really, how much that water sourcing is going to cost us.
Other tidbits from the meeting included:
In playground-related news, folks with kiddos will be happy to know that equipment replacement is planned or already underway at Indian Hills and Sarah Renee parks, with the swing set at Hillcrest Park also being updated.
Zimmerman said the Brookings Sustainability Council has secured donations for the Brookings Community Food Forest and fencing is being put up around the trees. Its found northeast of the Douglas Chittick Community Gardens north of the South Dakota State University campus.
Per information from the city, a food forest is a diverse planting of edible and beneficial plants that is designed to mimic a forest ecosystem. This planting technique increases the amount grown in a small space, while also helping local pollinators.
The initiative in Brookings has been underway for several years now, after initial groundwork was laid by Robin Buterbaugh, a member of the sustainability council, in early 2023.
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