Phoenix Park is a public space in downtown

Eau Claire Eau Claire (French for "clear water", ''pl.'' ''eaux claires'') is the name of a number of locations and features in North America. The name is pronounced as if it were spelled "O'Clare". Place names (Canada) Communities *Eau Claire, Calgary, a n ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, located on a former

brownfield site Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underused, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and l ...

at the confluence of the Chippewa River and the Eau Claire River. It covers approximately 9 acres with approximately 1/2 mile of riverbank frontage. The park serves as the

trailhead A trailhead is the point where a trail begins or is accessed, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain restrooms, maps, signposts, and distribution centers for ...

for the

Chippewa River State Trail Chippewa River State Trail is a 26-mile urban-rural rail trail in western Wisconsin that follows the path of the Chippewa River. The trails runs from the spot of the confluence of the Chippewa with the Eau Claire River, at Phoenix Park in do ...

. The park also offers a walking labyrinth, a natural amphitheater, and is home to Eau Claire's year-round farmer's market. These amenities make Phoenix Park a major gathering spot, especially during the summer months when the park plays hosts to concerts. The park is owned and operated by the City of Eau Claire.

History

Completed in 2005, the park is named for the former Phoenix Steel Company (previously

Phoenix Manufacturing Company The Phoenix Manufacturing Company, later known as the Phoenix Steel Company, was one of the oldest manufacturing firms in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The company specialized in producing equipment for the sawmill and logging industries, which played a ...

) that resided on a majority of the site (along the Chippewa River frontage) since 1875. Phoenix Steel vacated the site in 1971, and subsequently leased the building for warehousing and storage. In 1981 the city of Eau Claire took ownership of the tax-delinquent site with the intent of eliminating the blight influences of the property. Despite the listing of the industrial buildings in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, the buildings were demolished per the city's plan in 1985. In 1994 the city and

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set polic ...

worked jointly to remediate the

soil contamination Soil contamination, soil pollution, or land pollution as a part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activit ...

from almost a century of industrial operations. The remainder of the brownfield on the Eau Claire River frontage, owned by

Northern States Power Northern States Power Company () was a publicly traded S&P 500 electric and natural gas utility holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that is now a subsidiary of Xcel Energy (). History The company's founder, Henry Marison Byllesby, ha ...

(later

Xcel Energy Xcel Energy Inc. is a U.S. regulated electric utility and natural gas delivery company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving more than 3.7 million electric customers and 2.1 million natural gas customers across parts of eight states (Color ...

), was remediated in 2002. The purchase of the land by the city of Eau Claire was aided by the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, a state of Wisconsin fund for conservation, recreation, and waterfront development. The construction of the park was funded through a mix of Federal funding and Eau Claire Tax Incremental District #8, created to eliminate blight in the downtown area.

References

External links

Phoenix Park, City of Eau Claire
{{Coord, 44.81281, -91.50357, type:landmark_region:US-WI, display=title Eau Claire, Wisconsin Parks in Wisconsin Protected areas of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin