Lumberjack Landing

Location & Basic Facts

• Lumberjack Landing comprises 15 acres of land along the St. Croix River with about ¾ mile of river shoreline frontage.

• The site is located at 1513 Main Street North in the city of Stillwater, Minnesota.

• The city acquired the property in 2017 for parkland purposes.

https://www.stillwatermn.gov/city-government/departments/planning-development/community-development/north-aiple-park

Development Plan & Features

• A master planning process addressed how to convert the former private-land site into a public park, including design of trails, river access, habitat restoration, and adaptive reuse of an existing house.

• Key planned amenities include:

  • An ADA-accessible canoe/kayak launch for non-motorized boats.

  • An accessible fishing pier and multiple river-edge access points.

  • A trail network connecting to the nearby Brown’s Creek State Trail and internal pedestrian pathways.

  • A patio/picnic area, passive recreational zones, and restoration of much of the property to natural vegetation.

  • Renovation of an existing residence on the site (the “Aiple house”) into a multi-use building (community room, restrooms, possibly event or rental space).

    
    

Current Status, Challenges & Community Feedback

• The project is in progress — the site is undergoing habitat restoration (including invasive species removal), trail construction, shoreline stabilization, and building renovation.

  
  

Strategic Significance

• Publicly-accessible riverfront: This site markedly enhances Stillwater’s public access to the St. Croix River for paddling and passive recreation—addressing a gap in non-motorized watercraft access.

• Multi-functional asset: Combines elements of ecological restoration, recreation (walking, paddling, fishing), and community gathering (building renovation) — a well-rounded example of urban natural-asset redevelopment.

• Connectivity & trails: The trail linkage to the Brown’s Creek State Trail situates Lumberjack Landing within a broader regional recreation network.

• Restoration & habitat value: The focus on invasive species removal (buckthorn, garlic mustard) and native plant restoration offers a living lab for community ecology, habitat enhancement and passive recreation integration.

  
  

Funding & Considerations

• The site was purchased in 2017 with funding from the City of Stillwater, Washington County, and the State of Minnesota’s Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.”

• With total costs around $12.2 M and the known major funds ($6 M state, $1 M private) in place, the city is filling the gap (~$5.2 M) via local sales tax, other grants, or city funds. The funding model provides a case study in public + philanthropic investment in park infrastructure.

• A major state-bonding appropriation: the Minnesota Legislature allocated $6 million to Stillwater for riverfront park/river access improvements including Lumberjack Landing.

• A private philanthropic contribution: A local donor, Geri Freels, pledged $1 million specifically for the renovation of the existing Aiple residence on the site.

• Additional grant: The city report notes a $50,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the kayak launch.

• Local Option Sales Tax: The city is leveraging a local option sales tax referendum (0.5%) to help fund the remaining portion of the riverfront project.

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