East Ridge High School/
Bielenberg Sports Center Improvements

Updated: August 18, 2009

Photo courtesy of School District 833 East Ridge High School is under construction southeast of Bielenberg Sports Center.

Pioneer Drive (from Bailey Road to Hargis Parkway) and Hargis Parkway (from Radio Drive to Pioneer Drive) are now complete and open to traffic. Six single-lane roundabouts and two traffic signals were constructed as part of the project and will help control traffic for the East Ridge High School and expanded Bielenberg Sports Center (BSC).

Completion of most of the outdoor facilities is expected prior to September. The fields east of Pioneer Drive will not be available for use until spring 2010, however.

Landscape and field updates for the area are as follows:

• Many of the BSC athletic fields were seeded in 2008. Seven soccer fields on the Danner site (east of BSC) will be seeded by September 2009.
• Construction of the three restroom shelter buildings have been completed.
• Nearly 2,000 trees were planted on the site in 2009.
• Work on the football stadium and installation of the artificial turf have been completed.

In September 2006, voters in South Washington County approved a referendum to provide funding for a new high school serving grades 9 through 12.

The school board selected East Ridge High School as the name for the third high school in May 2007. Construction began in August 2007 in hopes of welcoming students in fall 2009. The location of the new school is situated on approximately 80 acres south of Bailey Road. The site is east of Radio Drive and positioned between two city-owned properties. Bielenberg Sports Center (BSC) is to the west and the Danner gravel pit, which will be restored and converted to a regional storm water pond, is to the east. South of the sports center, the city also owns 80 acres, which are earmarked for expansion of the city's recreational facilities using $3 million in funds approved by voters in the 2005 parks/open space referendum.

Altogether, the area encompasses 320 acres of public land, providing a unique opportunity for cooperative planning between the city and school district to allow for site design and construction efficiencies.

Project activities are under way
The shell of the building was completed in winter 2008. The plan includes a through road between Radio Drive and an extended Pioneer Drive. This road, named Hargis Parkway, will provide internal circulation, disperse traffic to major roads after events, and provide for bus circulation for the high school. The location of the road required reconstruction and reconfiguration of existing soccer and football fields and parking at BSC. During the summer 2008, BSC began irrigation and planting work on all of its athletic fields as part of its reconstruction, and portions of the new Hargis Parkway and the Pioneer Drive extension south of Bailey Road were completed.

Photo courtesy of School District 833

The final plans for the high school include using the existing grade for a walk-out design, with the total size estimated to be 365,000 square feet. The school will house up to 1,800 students and 200 staff. Facilities will include a gym with seating for 2,000 and classrooms and satellite buildings. Athletic facilities include a "top-loading" stadium that takes advantage of existing slopes, 12 soccer fields, three baseball fields, eight softball/youth baseball fields, tennis courts, two football practice fields, and areas for track and field events. The fields associated with the new high school have been located between the existing BSC and new proposed fields on the former gravel pit property. Three parking areas separate bus traffic, a student drop-off area, and student parking.

Sustainability
The city has encouraged sustainable development with sensitivity to the site and overall environment. A majority of the existing trees on the site were preserved or transplanted. A narrow design of Hargis Parkway will help maintain natural surroundings as well. The school also is in the process of considering the addition of a wind turbine to provide power to the school facilities.

For more information, contact the City of Woodbury Planning Division at (651) 714-3533.

• Recent Site Plan (1.3 MB)