The next steps in the construction of MI-7 Roosevelt Park and Zoo phase of the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project have started in the park and will continue for the next 4-6 weeks, according to a news release from the Souris River Joint Board.

Playground equipment on the north end of the park has been removed and stored until it can be placed in the park at the end of construction. Excavation for the Magic City Express Building and main park restrooms are starting this week. In early October excavation for the new location of the Discovery Barn will start in the park and inside the zoo.

Along with excavation of these areas, to prepare for the spring construction season, there will be heavy equipment in the parks for two additional pre-consolidation piles. One of the final fall construction items will be tied to moving the Theodore Roosevelt statue to its permanent home in the south Roosevelt Zoo parking area. People are asked to be cautious if they see equipment and work occurring in the parking lot directly south of the zoo entrance.

While the park will not be closed in the next month, the public is asked to use extreme caution within the park because of the larger equipment and large truck traffic involved in completing the work. This work is critical in the next steps of the project to move forward as scheduled in the spring of 2025, according to the joint board.