Improvements coming to Father Marinaro Park
Butler is getting a $100,800 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to make upgrades to Father Marinaro Park.
Jeff Smith, director of parks, recreation and public property, said Thursday that the grant will allow the city to install new playground equipment, repave the basketball court and parking lot, and add a new softball field, pavilion and ADA accessible walkway at the park.
“This is a great New Year's gift for the city,” Smith said. “Parks are an important part in improving the quality of life in a municipality.”
The city applied for the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program grant in April, as city council was making progress on other aspects of Father Marinaro Park, as well as some other city parks, Smith said. He also said the total cost for the project is estimated at about $205,000, so the DCNR grant pays for about half.
The rest of the cost will be covered by the city's $50,000 sale of the Southside Park land last year and money from the Community Development Block Grant.
The city recently installed more security cameras at Father Marinaro Park, and the skate park area had work done earlier this year.
“In the past, there were some issues at Father Marinaro,” Smith said. “Thanks to the cameras and some other work, a lot of those issues have been taken care of.”
Smith's tenure as a Butler councilman ends in 2022, but he said the council likely will put out bids for the project soon.
Smith said he hopes to see the project come together by this time next year, so Father Marinaro Park is up to par with the rest of the city's recently improved parks, such as Ritts and Memorial.
“As long as I've been in office we tried to put a plan together to improve all the parks,” Smith said. “The renovation of Father Marinaro Park is a critical (part) and one of the final pieces of the rehabilitation of the Butler City Parks System.
“Hopefully, these kinds of improvements will give people one more reason to move to and live in the City of Butler.”
