Excell Academy Looks to Acquire Portion of City Park for Playground Use
Excell Academy is located right next to Fair Oaks Park in Brooklyn Park. The school has used green space in the park for the past 18 years as a place for children to play. Now, the school wants to purchase the east half of the park in order to build a playground.
The Brooklyn Park City Council discussed the issue for about an hour Monday night. Ultimately the council approved the first reading, but city staff members want to discuss a proposal that would keep Fair Oaks Park in city hands and still allow Excell Academy to build a playground on the site with their own money and help maintain the park.
“It’s very clear this evening that all members of the council are interested in finding a path for Excell to stay here,” said Brooklyn Park City Manager Jay Stroebel. “They’re a tremendous asset for our community, for our youth, and so that’s what we’ll work on.”
The council will revisit the issue and vote on the second reading at its next meeting.
