Upgrades slated for South Peach Park in Fort Valley with the help of grant funds
Some of the new features will include an extra mile of walking trail, outdoor exercise equipment, updated pavilions and 80 new trees.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Peach County is getting a big boost in funding to make more updates possible at South Peach Park.
Grant funding has always played a crucial role in the development of recreational spaces in Peach County. In fact, South Peach Park in Fort Valley couldn’t have been built without grant money.
According to Fort Valley Mayor, Jeffery Lundy, the park has been a valuable asset to the community since the early 90s.
“A lot of people were saying, ‘We don’t have things to do, we don’t have places to go,” he said. “Well our public parks, we’re putting a lot of emphasis on that, on those things that you can go out to South Peach Park. You can do a lot of activities. You can bring the family out.”
A grant of more than $760,000 from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is helping Peach County bring some much-needed improvements to the park.
The county received the grant to improve recreation in areas that were disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Director of Parks and Recreation, David Parrish, says the department has been working to improve the park in recent years, but with the new grant money, he’s excited for the next round of upgrades.
“Just resurfacing the existing walking trail is going to be a huge upgrade because it will be a smoother surface to walk on,” he said. “It’ll be safer.”
Parrish says the department will build an additional mile of walking trail that connects to the existing trail to form a loop around the park.
Other upgrades to the park include five commercial outdoor exercise machines, resurfacing and painting of parking lots and driveways, improved pavilions and the addition of nearly 80 mature trees.
“From walking trails to planting trees to so many different things, that’s going to be more of an attraction for those who come to Fort Valley,” Mayor Lundy said.
The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act and is part of Georgia’s Improving Neighborhood Outcomes and Disproportionately Impacted Communities program.
In order to receive the funds, Peach County had to meet a few criteria. South Peach Park had to be in a lower income area identified by the state. It also had to be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The park also had to address a need for the people of Fort Valley.
David Parrish says the Department of Parks and Recreation hopes the upgrades will improve the health and quality of life for people in Fort Valley.
“I think it’s a feather in the cap of the park, the city and the county. I think the winners are gonna be the citizens,” he siad.
Improvements will begin in September once the grant has been processed. The upgrades are expected to be complete within two years.
