How Brandon's park system is expanding

Megan Raposa -

This is a paid piece from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

Simplified: As Brandon continues to grow and add more housing, the city is also looking at potential for new and expanded parks – including a wetland bank on the east side of town. Here's what you need to know.

Why it matters

  • Brandon has been working for some time on improvements to Aspen Park, including new baseball fields, a hockey arena and a new road to get in and out of the popular park.
  • Meanwhile, in the new Aspen Ridge housing development on the southeast side of town, developers are adding Christensen Park, which will ultimately become a public park once it's completed, Brandon Development Director Patrick Andrews said.
  • The city is also pitching the idea of creating a wetland bank – a protected natural area that's preserved in order to offset the environmental impacts from construction.
"Basically, the Brandon Development Foundation will invest its resources into creating the wetland bank," Andrews said. "The wetland bank will generate 'credits,' and local development projects will purchase those 'credits' to offset the loss of aquatic resources caused by their projects elsewhere in the watershed."

Tell me more

Work is underway at the new Christensen Park, and residents of the Aspen Ridge Development are already using the pickleball courts.

  • Combined Pool and Spa has also been on-site working on preparing the land for the eventual splash pad, Andrews said.

The process to create a wetland bank is a bit more involved because it requires approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

  • The Brandon Development Foundation earlier this year submit a prospectus, and the corps has given tentative approval that it'd be a viable project.
  • The vision is to eventually also include scenic trails and nature areas around the wetlands as an amenity to the public.

What happens next?

The next step at Aspen Park is to include a new access road to the park, and development continues at Christensen Park as well.

With the wetlands, the city of Brandon has already held one public meeting with neighbors to gain feedback, and that work will continue. This project still needs approval from the Brandon City Council, and, if approved, the city will be looking to acquire the portion of wetlands that is still privately owned.