The board of St. Paul Regional Water Services will vote Tuesday on the fate of 4.3 acres of grassland by the Highland Water Tower off Snelling Avenue.

The land may become recreational space shared by the city and county.

The board issued a request for redevelopment proposals last summer, inviting individuals and organizations to share a letter of intent. In October, the board determined it would seek a long-term lease agreement with a partner, not a land sale. That eliminated more than half the 11 responses.

The board later reviewed competing proposals for a Hy-Vee grocery store; an organic berry farm; a large solar installation; coliseum-style athletic fields managed by the city and geared toward soccer, lacrosse and softball; and an unspecified public use recommended by Ramsey County, such as ice rinks.

After conferring with the city and county, staff have recommended working with government at both levels to pursue “public use facilities,” though the board resolution that will be voted upon Tuesday does not specify a particular project.

“They would do community outreach,” said St. Paul City Council Member Chris Tolbert, who represents Highland Park and sits on the board. “Ramsey County seems interested in adding another sheet of ice. The St. Paul proposal was a soccer field.”

Both proposals could co-exist at the site. The county’s Charles M. Schulz Arena maintains two indoor ice rinks but is overwhelmed by demand for skating.

Interest in Highland Park is high for saving little league fields that could be lost to redevelopment at the former site of the Ford Motor Co. campus. But Tolbert said the four-acre site isn’t big enough to replace them.

“What we’re going to pass isn’t finalizing anything,” Tolbert said.

The resolution states that the board “agrees that there is a need and desire for additional park and recreational facilities at this location.”

The land, which has sat largely untouched since the 1920s, contains a century-old, 18-million-gallon water reservoir that has been offline for three years. Related Articles West Side pedestrian bridge mural debuts 6 p.m. Monday

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The board will delay demolition, after previously indicating it was open to saving or demolishing the facility, at least until funding for new parks and rec amenities is in place. Both the city and county had recommended reusing portions of the cistern for architectural or educational purposes.

The park’s 127-foot water tower, designed by noted architect Clarence Wigington, is not part of the redevelopment site.