St. Paul City Council — Transcript
Monday, September 28, 2026
McMurray Project Groundbreaking and Integrated Infrastructure Development
Stormwater Management, Water Conservation, and Climate Resilience
Community Investment and Multi-agency Partnership
Votes (1)
McMurray Project Groundbreaking Ceremony
Dissent: No dissent was observed; the event was a celebration of collective achievement and partnership.
Moved by N/A · Seconded by N/A
The event celebrated the official start of construction for the McMurray Project, marking the culmination of over a decade of planning and partnership. Speakers from the City of St. Paul, Ramsey County, and the Capitol Region Watershed District detailed the project's dual benefits: transforming existing softball fields into a 5-acre multi-use artificial turf facility for enhanced youth sports and community use, while simultaneously implementing a sophisticated stormwater management system. This system is designed to capture, treat, and reuse 32 million gallons of stormwater annually, significantly reducing pollution into Como Lake, conserving potable water, and bolstering climate resilience by managing intense rainfall. The project was lauded as a model for integrated infrastructure, demonstrating how public investment can yield environmental, recreational, and community well-being benefits for current and future generations.
Notable Quotes (5)
This is a project that is more than a decade in the making with a variety of partners... It is a big deal for this neighborhood in the city.
It is about investing in park protecting Komao Lake and building a stronger, more resilient St. Paul. This is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together.
McMurray Fields will capture and clean more than 32 million gallons of polluted storm water every year before it reaches a Komo Lake. That's cleaner water. That's a healthier lake. That's a stronger ecosystem for the wildlife.
This project is going to reduce runoff to Komo Lake by 85% and then prevent 85 pounds of phosphorus and 11 tons of sediment from reaching Komo Lake. Those are numbers that are real and meaningful in protecting and improving Komo Lake.
Everything is connected... for the last 28 years, we have been working to protect, to manage, and improve the lake... Nothing compares to what's about to happen here today.
Ordinances & Resolutions (5)
A comprehensive plan detailing the integration of park improvements (new athletic fields) with regional stormwater management infrastructure.
A local funding mechanism approved by St. Paul voters, dedicated to improving streets and parks, which partially funds the city's athletic facility improvements within the project.
Ramsey County's strategic plan that prioritizes investments in climate-smart solutions to build healthier, safer, and more resilient communities, exemplified by the McMurray Project.
A state grant program from the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) that provided nearly one million dollars in funding for the project's environmental components.
A $2 million state grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) specifically supporting the project's stormwater infrastructure and resilience features.