The Wayzata City Council approved a donation for a new statue honoring Paul Klapprich during its May 5 meeting, adopting the item as part of the consent agenda.
The statue is proposed for Klapprich Park and would serve as a tribute to Klapprich’s longtime contributions to youth hockey and the park that bears his family name.
According to the city’s agenda report, the donation is being made by Tom Shaver, Kurt Klapprich and Ed Turnquist. The proposed artwork is a life-size, bronze-coated statue of Paul Klapprich, with a stainless-steel interior. The estimated value of the donated statue is between $75,000 and $100,000.
The statue is expected to be placed northeast of the existing warming house and southwest of the new playground area. Final placement will be determined after utility locates are completed to avoid conflicts with existing infrastructure.
The donation group plans to commission artist Bret Overturf for the sculpture. City staff indicated the anticipated timeline for completion is about one year.
Under the proposal, the donation group will fund and donate the statue, while the city will pay for the concrete base and evaluate possible uplighting. Those city costs would come from the Public Art Fund.
The proposal was previously reviewed by the city’s newly established Public Art Committee, which discussed the item at its January, February and March meetings. The committee unanimously recommended approval.
Before installation, city staff will work with the donation group on a formal agreement addressing maintenance, cost allocation, potential relocation and other details. That agreement will return to the council for review and approval.
