Recreation opportunities to improve at Garfield Park after grant award

Charles Dunlap
Posted 9/25/20

The Mexico Parks and Recreation Department on Tuesday announced its receipt of a $40,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association for improvements to increase youth access to …

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Recreation opportunities to improve at Garfield Park after grant award

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The Mexico Parks and Recreation Department on Tuesday announced its receipt of a $40,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association for improvements to increase youth access to recreational opportunities.

A new 45- by 80-foot basketball court and 220 feet of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalk will be constructed at Garfield Park. The Mexico City Council authorized a Memorandum of Agreement with the association in August for the grant.

The Mexico Parks and Recreation Department had been searching for a way to build a youth basketball court, Director Chad Shoemaker said.

“This was a great grant. It was 100% money,” he said. “It will really benefit children to explore playing. Hopefully it is a big improvement. We all know the story of Tyronn Lue, practicing, shoveling snow off the court down there. If we have that kid in the community, we want to make sure they have the same opportunity.”

The Play and Youth Sports Grant is funded through the Walt Disney Co. and the parks association. The basketball court will have eight-foot tall hoops, which is more accessible for younger children. Another court at the park will retain its regulation height hoops.

The grant application process was invite only, Shoemaker said.

“The [national association] has a grants management office that cooperates with different corporate partners,” he said. “Our involvement in the [Missouri] Parks and Recreation Association has kind of gotten Mexico onto their radar.”

The city’s dedication to installing accessible playgrounds and a demonstration site playground at Lakeview Park also helped, he said.

“You get on their radar as a place that is good to work with and completes projects,” Shoemaker said. “We were happy to get this because it says that we are competing on a much bigger level. If little Mexico, Missouri, can make the list, it is something to be proud of.”

Increasing accessibility at Garfield Park is one of the city’s goals. Projects have taken place at the park over the last 20 years to address the need, Shoemaker said.

“We are not quite there yet, but we are getting closer all the time,” he said.

Meetings with park neighbors have taken place since September 2019 to gauge what the community surrounding the park wants out of it. The initial proposal from the city included an entrance apron, that could lead to an eventual roadway and an ADA-accessible parking lot.

That conversation was revisited in July.

The council ultimately decided to use the funds budgeted for the entrance apron to replace the concrete slab at the park’s shelter and construct additional ADA-compliant sidewalks to the shelter.

“Shortly after we met with stakeholders from the community area, it was brought to our attention that there was a lot of desire for the youth basketball court to be improved or replaced,” Shoemaker said at an Aug. 10 council meeting.

Shoemaker expects this will not be the last grant the city may receive for Parks improvements.

The Walt Disney Co. and NRPA manage the administration of the grant program. Grants support increased access to play and youth sports for children and families through park improvement projects and a community play report, according to the Aug. 10 council meeting packet.

Construction will include the excavation of the existing court and sidewalk, installation of new concrete and asphalt, basketball goals and court lighting. The project has to be completed by March 26, 2021.

The city still hopes to eventually construct the entrance apron and parking lot at the park, but other current projects, such as Fairground Pool are taking precedence.

“We will probably put that on hold until we have some chance to have some more meetings and present some more concepts to the neighborhood,” Shoemaker said. “The neighborhood is very invested in that park and they have different ideas as to what they want, don’t want. It’s our job to work with the public.”


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