St. Paul Seeks $4.5 Million to Fix Slopes in Park Where 2 Died

ST. PAUL -- The city of St. Paul is seeking $4.5 million to help fix unstable slopes in a park where two children died in a landslide on a field trip nearly three years ago.

The City Council voted Wednesday to request disaster-relief funding for Lilydale Regional Park. Ten-year-old Mohamed Fofana and 9-year-old Haysem Sani were killed when a cliff fell on them in May 2013.

The council is seeking grant money to improve stability on slopes and ravines along the Brickyard Trail area. A previous grant application to the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources was denied.

According to the resolution, the Brickyard Trail area continues to erode after rain.

If the grant is awarded, the city will present the plan to the public before any work starts.