The Fridley City Council unanimously approved a request for a Community Development Block Grant to fund improvements at Flannery Park during its Jan. 26 meeting. Construction is planned for summer and fall 2026.
Parks and Recreation Director Mike Maher said the Community Development Block Grant program is the federal government’s primary tool for promoting community revitalization and provides annual, formula-based grants to Anoka County.
Applications are submitted to the county by Jan. 29 and must meet objectives that include benefiting low- and moderate-income residents, preventing or eliminating slum or blight conditions, or addressing community needs that pose a serious or immediate threat to public health or welfare.
Maher said previous CDBG-funded projects in Fridley include the 61st Avenue multimodal transit hub and the transformation of Fire Station 3 at Jubilee and Oak Hill parks into the Creative Flow Arts Center.
Improvements at Flannery Park are part of the city’s ongoing Park System Improvement Plan. Community engagement held in summer 2025 focused on selecting playground equipment and developing a broader plan that includes athletic courts, new parking, trails, landscaping, park amenities and shelter improvements.
The city is requesting $976,000 through the grant program, which may award partial funding. Construction is scheduled from July through November 2026.
Council Member Luke Cardona said he was hopeful the city would receive the full grant amount and asked whether the project budget had been developed with the grant in mind.
Maher said the project elements have been included in the city’s five-year Capital Investment Program for several years, and that receiving grant funding would allow the city to enhance the park project. He added that securing the grant would also reduce the need for bonding and free up city funds for improvements at other parks included in the Park System Improvement Plan.