City of Spartanburg, SC
01/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2025 15:41
City Council approves ARPA-funded Parks and Recreation upgrades
At their meeting on Monday, Spartanburg City Council gave unanimous approval to a plan to allocate the $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding set set aside last year for improvements to the City's parks and community centers.
In her presentation, Parks, Recreation and Special Events Director Kim Brown said the plan was developed by staff with an eye towards meeting goals specified in the City's Comprehensive Plan, approved by City Council in 2023, which is meant to provide a blueprint for growth and development in the city for the next decade. According to Brown, the recommended facility and programming upgrades will facilitate more mixing between residents of differing socioeconomic backgrounds, strengthen community connections, and increase knowledge of and access to the city's parks and recreation spaces.
The plan includes spending $140,000 to replace the department's current bus, which is more than 25 years old and carries only 14 passengers, with a new larger bus that can accommodate up to 73 children or 48 adults. That larger capacity will allow the Parks, Recreation and Special Events Department to increase enrollment in many of the programs it offers, as many locals, particularly children, have transportation barriers making their consistent participation more difficult.
Other items identified by staff include $105,000 for upgrades to Chapel Street Park, $200,000 for upgrades to Irwin Park, and $300,000 for further improvements to Duncan Park. Also included in the plan are upgrades to the C.C. Woodson Community Center pool. In operation for nearly 15 years, the pool has developed cracks and rough patches over the years and is in need of replastering.
According to Brown, most of the approved upgrades will be completed within the next 12 months. A community-led planning process will also be established to define and plan improvements to the 14-acre Irwin Park.
For more from Monday's City Council meeting, see the full video at this link.
City of Spartanburg, SC published this content on January 14, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 14, 2025 at 21:41 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]