MN Senate bonding committee to hear presentation at Washington Ballpark Aug. 15

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee will be visiting Washington Ballpark in Detroit Lakes on Tuesday afternoon as the group of lawmakers begin travelling the state to tour sites requesting funds for projects to be included in next year’s bonding proposal.

The traveling lawmakers will hear a presentation from members of the city at the ballpark just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday as to why the ballpark renovations are needed and what the plans are for the updating the historic landmark.

The Washington Ballpark renovation project has been submitted by the city of Detroit Lakes into a $1.4 million bonding request during the last two legislative sessions.

No bonding bill was passed by the legislature in 2022 and the renovation project was removed from the $2.6 billion bonding and cash-infrastructure package passed by the legislature in May.

Detroit Lakes Mayor Matt Brenk said Washington Ballpark is a unique piece of Detroit Lakes because its proximity to the lake, but it is starting to look a bit tired and is in need of some facility improvements.

“We’ll make a presentation on (Aug.) 15th to the Senate Bonding Committee … but just looking at the ballpark, that is such a cool spot,” said Brenk, during a recent Hodgepodge interview. “You can see the lake, the park, but you look at the grandstand and some of the facilities and they are just really tired, so we need to do something. We’re hopeful we can get this bonding and get this project underway next year.”

According to the city of Detroit Lakes, Washington Ballpark was established along Washington Avenue in 1897 with the first grandstand being built in 1908. It was listed in the National Registrar of Historic Places in 2008