Park Plaza Co-op Residents Making Park Their Own

It’s been less than a year since Park Plaza manufactured-home community , but members are working hard to make the place that they live—and own—a better place. 

Board of Directors President Natividad Seefeld, who last February was one of the board members to sign papers to buy the manufactured-home community, has been instrumental throughout the process, and now is at the lead as the board continues to make changes to better for their community. 

Energy Project
For example, Seefeld met with Renewable Energy in hopes that the business would take on Park Plaza on a project to help cut homeowners energy bills in half. The company offers ways to add equipment to reduce costs. 

“It is going to be a huge project to get that done, and with winter fast approching I believe that we may be looking at spring to start the project when all is said and done,” Seefeld said in an email. “Once quotes are in, the board and others will have to meet to go over them and decide how to take that project to the next step.”

New Resident Members
Meanwhile, the responsibility of showing homes to potential new members of the co-op has fallen on the board of directors. When Park Plaza first became a cooperative, it was the park manager who showed the homes, but Seefeld said the board decided that it would be better for board members to take on that responsibility. “It’s a better fit for our community,” she said. 

A couple of weeks ago, the board closed a deal on one of their new homes which has a rent-to-purchase option. “With great big smiles we turned over the key of a new home to a new resident of Park Plaza Cooperative,” Seefeld said. “Very happy day.” The board is currently working on showing the other new home to potential residents and has many applications in hand. 

Under the new co-op structure, new residents who choose to live in Park Plaza will automatically become members of the co-op. (Those who already lived in the community before were able to choose whether to be a part of the cooperative.)

Seefeld said that currently there are about 47 members of co-op, making up more than half of the residents. 

Newspaper Boxes
Seefeld also reported that coin boxes for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Star Tribune have been installed in the park.

“It is so nice to be able to buy the paper close to home,” Seefeld said.

Sign of the Times
Also, the old signs have been taken down and new signs for the Park Plaza Cooperative will soon erected.

“The new signs are great and I can't wait to get them up,” Seefeld said.