Phoenix Park Could Get More Parking, Will Get More Power

Tom Giffey |

When visitors crowd downtown Eau Claire’s premiere public space, it can be hard to park in the Phark. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) Some of that pressure may be alleviated if a proposed parking lot just across Madison Street from Phoenix Park is finally built. Plans for the lot have been kicked around for years, but haven’t reached fruition. (They were voted down by the City Council last year.) Prospects for a new plan may be better. On July 10 members of the North River Fronts Neighborhood Association lent their support to the project on a narrow 6-5 vote. Bob Schraufnagel, the association’s treasurer, said many residents are opposed to any lot, while others decided to support the plan because it will be an asset to nearby Phoenix Park (even if it does mean losing green space). The city’s current plans reflect modifications from earlier drawings, in part because the original lot would have been partly on flood-plain land bought with funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is a no-no. Doug Derks of the city’s engineering division said plans now feature a 50-stall lot nestled between Madison and Forest streets, next to the Xcel Energy substation. A trail underpass will allow pedestrians to go to and from the lot without crossing busy Madison Street above. While the neighborhood’s support gives the project a bit of momentum, there still are several hurdles: In the coming weeks, the lot must be OK’d by the city Waterways and Parks Commission (which Schraufnagel chairs), the city Plan Commission, and the City Council itself. Derks says the lot could cost somewhere in the $130,000 to $210,000 range, depending on what kind of asphalt is used.

In the more immediate future, Phoenix Park will see some powerful changes – literally. By the end of the summer, electric power will be available at additional locations in the park, thanks to a $20,000 donation from the North Barstow Business Improvement District. “They wanted to provide more opportunities for street-side setups,” explained Dave Bohlinger, a park maintenance supervisor for the city. The new infrastructure will bring power from a transformer located near the new restrooms south to the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Chippewa River, as well as along Riverfront Terrace to the hillside above the Labyrinth and to the vicinity of the trailhead building. The equipment will include 50-amp plug-ins (the heavy duty kind you connect your oven to) as well as “spider boxes” that can distribute the power further. All this is intended to make the Phark more useful for concerts, festivals, art fairs, and other public events.