A second public hearing was opened Monday night during the Plymouth City Council meeting in order to gather comments on the second phase of the River Park Square.
Priority Project Resources Grant Writer Shannon McLeod explained that several new features will be included in the Regional Stellar Communities project which continues the city’s plan and the park department’s plan for updates and improvements at River Park Square.
McLeod discussed the many new aspects that will be featured in this project.
“There will be a picnic pavilion that will be constructed and a playground area that will be constructed,” stated McLeod. “They’re going to install a permanent cornhole game area. There’s going to be a new sensory garden installed, and they’re also going to install a Veterans Memorial Plaza. It will have some pavers, benches, flagpoles, and things of that nature. There’s going to be an ice rink installed and then we’re also going to put some ADA sidewalks throughout the park and around the perimeter to make it more ADA accessible, and then we will be adding some additional parking along Garro Street.”
Park Superintendent Michael Hite told the council members that the location of the ice rink in the park was changed to be installed under the pavilion to save on maintenance and construction costs.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $700,000. The city will be applying for grant funds in the amount of $560,000 of which the city will match $140,000.
There were no public comments voiced during the public hearing.
The application will now be finalized to be submitted to the state in mid-April, but that may be slightly delayed. McLeod explained she is going to ask for a waiver from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs to get the application in as they are waiting for another OCRA funded project in Plymouth to be under contract.
Bids for the project will be let in July with construction beginning in late September or early October. The project should be finished in the spring of 2022.
