The actual budget is just over 700K for the Hogans Creek Greenway, but that money is mainly for the sidewalk itself, with a few other amenities. There is no architectural restoration/preservation as part of that budget. That will have to be secured through one of the neighborhood non-profits via grants or trusts.
The money comes available this July with the new fiscal year (the money is from the State DOT) and progress should begin by year end.
SPAR has met with representatives from the City and Corrine Browns office to work towards securing the funding. The City did put a request in to the congress womans office to ear mark money to push the Army Core of Engineers project forward. This will help with some of the creeks issues, at least in regards to flow and aquatic health. Congresswoman Browns office did submit the funding request, and we should know something by Sept.
Another point that is worth of making is, The 400K grant that I mentioned to Kevin was secured by the Springfield Womans Club (
www.springfieldwomansclub.org) was secured in order to make beautifications to Confederate Park. Sadly many of the things they wanted to do with the money originally cant be done because of contamination issues stemming from the Park View Inn site. Items like rebuilding the pond, sidewalk replacement and any activity involving digging around the pond or along the creek, had to be deferred. The money has instead been put towards adding another 50' to the recently built Rose Arbor (worth checking out), restoring the Woman of the Southland monument, and pushing beutifucation at the Dog Park project with SACARC.(
www.sacarc.org)
SACARC also has secured some funding from a Mayors matching grant to build the citys first publicly owned leashless Dog Park in Confederate Park Playground. The city applied for a Block Development grant for the park also to install fencing and playground equipment. I understand that the word is back that the grant will be approved.
There is also a group of people in the neighborhood who are working to get a Skate Plaza put into Schell Park. Schell Park presents a difficult situation because it is an ash site.
The Parks in Springfield are sort of the perfect storm of public neglect, lack of funding, and contamination issues. All three of those are now being addressed, and I imaging if SPAR, the Springfield Womans Club, and SACARC can all continue to work together, the parks will start to sparkle again. Sadly the contamination issues make it a slow and arduous process.
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