November 18, 2009
By KRISTIN DANLEY-GREINER
REGISTER WRITER
The second park to be located in the expansive Prairie Trail development in Ankeny is up and running, complete with a playground, shelter and other amenities. Dean Park is located at Southwest 19th Street and College Avenue.
Work on the three-acre park, with a price tag of $416,000, wrapped up this fall, said Todd Redenius, director of the city of Ankeny’s parks and recreation department.
“Of particular interest is the water feature, which is the first of its kind that we have installed. The water feature shoots sprays from the ground and can be activated on-site,” Redenius said.
Ankeny City Manager Carl Metzger applauded the latest addition to the city’s parks system.
“Dean Park will be another great place for Ankeny families and with its array of play features, is another example of the city council’s commitment to expanding the city’s play spaces for our children,” Metzger said.
The first park to be constructed in the Prairie Trail development, Precedence Park, was completed last spring, Redenius said. These parks are part of a series of parks to be located in this particular development, he added.
“Dean Park will be within a block of the school district’s next elementary and within two blocks of the new Cascade Falls Aquatic Center,” he said.
The Prairie Trail development will feature a total of almost 100 acres of park space and 13 miles of trails when the various construction phases wrap up.
Chautauqua Park will be the next park to be constructed in this development and is considered to be the first of its kind in the Ankeny parks system. The proposed 46-acre park will offer a lake, wetland, trails, native and natural landscapes, a regional trailhead to the Central Iowa Trail system, a multi-generational playscape and gardens featuring natural grasses and flowers.
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