by Erin Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers

The city of Eagan announced that it will receive $500,000 in grants from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to help preserve 30 acres of the 60-acre Caponi Art Park.

ìThis is great news for the city, its residents, and all those who desire to preserve open space in suburban areas,î said Eagan Mayor Pat Geagan.

Landowner Tony Caponi has been working with the city, county, Trust for Public Land (TPL) and Macalester College to make sure his land is protected in the future.

DNR local grants manager Audrey Mularie said the Caponi project fit ìa number of program prioritiesî of the Natural and Scenic Areas Program. The program allocated a whopping 25 percent of its funds this year to the Caponi project.

ìThis is the closest weíve been to seeing Tonyís vision preserved,î said Tonyís wife, Cheryl Caponi. ìThese 60 acres are going to continue to function as the Caponi Art Park. Itís not going to be just another city park, but it is a central piece to the Eagan Core Greenway.î

The total cost of the 30 acres is $2.2 million. The two DNR grants, along with city and county funding, will provide $1.57 million, with $190,000 left to raise.

Another 20 acres will be purchased by the Caponi Art Park Board, and the Caponis will donate the remaining 10 acres.

TPL, which played a major role in acquiring additional acreage for Patrick Eagan Park, also prepared the application for the DNR grants.

ìWe are very optimistic about this and very excited about the progress thatís happening,î said TPLís Bob McGillivray.

Now, Cheryl said, there are ìlots of little piecesî to deal with, agreements that need to be worked out and plans that need to be drawn up, she said.

ìWeíre excited. Things are really starting to pull together. Especially when we see how little money there was available and how successful weíve been.î

By preserving this 30 acres, the city and county have made it easier to preserve the other 30 because they have established an interest, she said.

ìWeíve been working here 24 hours a day without salaries for years because we just wanted this thing to happen,î she said.

Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

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