Shade canopies now cover areas at two St. Louis Park parks

Shade canopies are now covering bleachers at Aquila Park and a bench at Ainsworth Park, according to an Oct. 7 update from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

St. Louis Park received a $262,642 MPCA community resilience implementation grant in 2025 for work at both parks. The funded Aquila Park scope includes a playground shade structure, four structures over bleachers, four over dugouts, new bench seating and two umbrella structures over benches. At Ainsworth Park, it includes a playground shade structure and two umbrella structures over benches.

MPCA says the project is intended to reduce heat exposure and identifies children, families and athletes as intended beneficiaries. City commission minutes say staff were administering grant reimbursement for shade structures at both parks. MPCA did not give a completion date for the full project or confirm whether the remaining listed amenities are installed.