During the December 17th Council meeting, the City Council voted to award a contract to Lavender & Associates for renovations to Whitesville Park. Previously a privately owned property operated by volunteers, Whitesville Park was closed to the public indefinitely in 2016 due to decaying infrastructure, vandalism, and other maintenance challenges. Volunteers from the Whitesville Community Resource and Development Organization Inc. had been in talks with the city to take over the park’s management for several years. The land was officially deeded to the City in April 2022. Since then, City staff have been working to identify grant funding opportunities and solicit bids for the project.
After multiple grant applications to the Department of Community Affairs were denied, the City designated 1.2M dollars from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pay for the park renovation. Work is expected to start in late Spring 2025, with an anticipated completion date of Fall 2025. The property currently has a restroom, swingset, and basketball court on the site. After the renovation project, the park will feature a new restroom facility, basketball court, playground, and pavilion.
