Preserve. Play. Prosper.: Enhancing our Parks, Recreation and Outdoor Spaces
The City of Cottage Grove is committed to high-quality public services that empower our
community to connect, play, and thrive. In 2022, the city embarked on a journey to reimagine
recreation. We listened and learned as residents shared their desires for a wider array of
recreational opportunities, preservation of natural habitat, and additional access to open
spaces.
Based on this feedback, the city developed a plan to invest $36 million to elevate the quality of
our parks, recreation, and outdoor spaces. The Preserve. Play. Prosper. plan focuses on three
projects.
● Hamlet Park: Upgrading and enhancing our oldest and largest city park to provide more
recreational activities and community gathering spaces.
● Mississippi Dunes Park: Creating a first-of-its-kind 33.3-acre park that would restore and
preserve about 25 acres of wetlands, woodlands, and prairie, build an interpretive
learning center, and provide new educational and recreational activities along the river.
● River Oaks Golf Course and Event Center: Transforming this location into a year-round
recreation destination by adding more activities for people of all ages and enhancing the
building and patio dining area.
To fund this plan, the city is asking residents to consider a half-percent local sales tax as part of
the November 2024 general election. If approved by voters, this sales tax would amount to one
penny for every $2 spent on qualifying purchases made in Cottage Grove by residents and non-
residents. According to an analysis by the University of Minnesota, non-residents would pay
31.3% of the local sales tax.
Our community helped shape this plan, and our residents will have the final say on this
community investment. We encourage you to visit PreservePlayProsper.org for more details on
the plan, the cost and tax impact, and voting information.
Myron Bailey is the Mayor of the City of Cottage Grove.
