Council Debates Downtown Roundabout, Approves Growth Plan and Trail Project

Councilor calls roundabout 'ill-advised' as city staff presents downtown intersection improvements

Chris Peters

Dec 22, 2025 - 8 min read

A rendering shows the proposed stone wall and statue feature for the roundabout at 10th Avenue and Main Street in downtown Stillwater. Engineering Director Bill Millis told city council Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, that the improvements would use the same stone from Block 34 to maintain design consistency with other downtown improvements. – City of Stillwater

Council Debates Downtown Roundabout, Approves Growth Plan and Trail Project — A rendering shows the proposed stone wall and statue feature for the roundabout at 10th Avenue and Main Street in downtown Stillwater. Engineering Director Bill Millis told city council Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, that the improvements would use the same stone from Block 34 to maintain design consistency with other downtown improvements. – City of Stillwater

Stillwater City Council approved a comprehensive plan guiding development through 2045 and authorized a grant application for the final phase of the Rails-to-Trails project Dec. 15, but debate emerged over the future of the downtown roundabout at 10th Avenue and Main Street.

The council voted unanimously on multiple major initiatives during its Dec. 15 meeting, including adoption of Envision Stillwater 2045 and authorization to pursue $1.2 million in state transportation funding for rail-to-trail conversion. However, city staff's presentation on proposed downtown intersection improvements sparked disagreement among councilors about whether to enhance or remove the controversial roundabout.

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