Oakdale City Council to Decide Fate of Damaged Park Building

Oakdale’s former nature center building already had mold and a rodent infestation. Last Monday, July 18, a large oak tree fell on its roof, according to a staff report to the Oakdale City Council.

On Tuesday, July 26, the council is scheduled to determine the building’s fate.

The city could use its insurance money to repair the building or demolish it—something that was already under consideration before the accident.

“(The parks commission was) really uncertain about what they wanted to do with it—some of the parks commission wanted to eventually fix it,” said Parks and Buildings Superintendent Randy Bastyr. But, with the current situation, it appears, “God made our decision for us.”

The parks commission, and city staff are recommending that the city use the insurance money to demolish the building—either using city staff or an outside company, according to the staff report.

The damage estimate is $18,500, however, the city has a $2,500 deductible, the report says.

The Oakdale Fire Department is also interested in using the building for training, which would save the city $2,000 the department would have paid the City of St. Paul to use its facility, the report says.

Bastyr said the city probably won’t have insurance money left over if the building is demolished—especially because it will need to pay for long term storage of items that had been stored in the building—however he’s hoping to break even.

At its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at Oakdale City Hall, the council is also scheduled to discuss the possibility of reopening the restrooms at .

The restrooms were closed this year after the council decided to stop hiring lifeguards to watch the beach at the park.

City staff recommends keeping them locked due to concerns about vandalism and other crime occurring in the unattended building, according to a staff report.

One possibility is allowing a nonprofit group or company to operate the concessions stand in the building next year so there would be someone around to keep an eye on the restrooms, according to a staff report.