COVID-19 funds could improve city parks
Memorial Park and Rotary Park may become more handicap-friendly in coming years.
The Butler Redevelopment Authority voted Thursday to apply for $1.4 million through the Community Development Block Grant’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
Veronica Walker, executive director of the authority, said in conversations with a CDBG representative that she learned that the money — which is meant to be used for improvements to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus — could apply to recreation projects.
The representative told her that city parks fall within funding guidelines “because (of) outside air and social distancing,” Walker said Thursday.
The authority will apply for the funding on behalf of the City of Butler to work on a total of five projects.
Walker said the first projects would install an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant sidewalk at Rotary Park. Additionally, the grant will fund a special needs playground with rubber surfacing and two playsets at Memorial Park, which may also receive a sidewalk, pavilion, restroom and two parking areas that will all be handicap-accessible, as well as a new footbridge to cross Sullivan Run.
The grant will also fund the reconstruction of the parking lot at Father Marinaro Park, according to Walker.
Walker said 80 percent of the funds have to be spent by June 2023, so she plans to quickly prepare the parks for the projects.
“I am going to start the environmental review process to get it done, so that as soon as we get approval — which is supposed to be in September — we can hit the ground running and start spending this money,” she said.
