Krug Park brings in the new while keeping look of the old

By Harry Loomis

Blending new amenities with a historical feel is the aim of a project to upgrade Krug Park.

Headlining the $9 million in work planned to begin late this spring are improvements to the amphitheater and castle. Stone walls also will be restored and amenities including the shelters and restrooms will be refurbished. The project will be financed by the city’s parks tax.

“We had deterioration of stonework and concrete work that were causing safety issues,” said Chuck Kempf, the city’s parks director. “We had situations where we couldn’t use the amphitheater because there’s no water service or sewer service because the utilities had failed.”

But while new upgrades are needed, officials want Krug to retain its unique character, particularly around the century-old castle.

“Things like historic preservation are going to be extremely important,” Kempf said. “ADA access will not only be extremely important, it’ll be required. Right now, if you go to Krug Park, it is very difficult to get around the park because of the topography. We have got to solve that problem for people with disabilities to make sure that they can use the park.”

To ensure the renovations don’t take away from the park’s historic look, city officials consulted with community members to develop the best approach to renovations.

“I have worked with our group and the parks department and the west aid team to develop the plan and have input,” said Terry Turbak, chairperson of the Friends of Krug Park. “We were very thankful that the city council allowed us to have a voice in some of the projects that they had in mind.”

The renovations will have an impact on a St. Joseph tradition, although Kempf said it’s hard to say what Holiday Park and its beloved Christmas lights are going to look like this year until the work begins.

“We are going to try and maintain Holiday Park to the best of our ability in the condition that people are used to,” he said. “We know that we’ll have to make some concessions. We’re hoping that those don’t have to be significant but we know there will be concessions. But we will try and work with the contractor and the design professional and all of their support team to try. It’ll be important to them.”

Through all the preparations ahead of work starting, all parties involved have been on the same page and have the best intentions for the historic park. The work being done proactively will make construction more peaceful for those who love Krug Park.

“It means everything to Friends of Krug Park and to the whole community that the city council, the mayor and all of the people involved in the parks department are 100% behind the historical value of the park,” Turbak said. “The natural setting of the park, preserving it as a family park for the people that live here and for visitors and keeping it open to the public at all times, I’m really proud of the way everyone has come together to work toward the same goals.”