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Danville Receives Grant for Garfield Park after Reapplying

By Steve Brandy Dec 18, 2024 | 12:24 PM

 THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY

 

Drop in a question of your very own BY CLICKING HERE or by emailing 25-year Vermilion County reporter Jennifer Bailey at jbailey@news-gazette.com.

DANVILLE — Reapplying for another Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant has paid off for the city of Danville and Garfield Park users.

The city has been awarded $600,000 through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources program to fund Garfield Park playground equipment upgrades, sidewalks and other park improvements.

“That’s really awesome news,” said Danville Public Works Director Dave Ruwe.

He said in addition to new playground equipment, the grant also will pay for a pavilion and other improvements.

Ward 6 Alderman Jon Cooper said he has a problem with $16 million of the city’s $26 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds going toward one area of the city for the aquatic center and park.

Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said the city used its ARPA funds under the requirements to help improve the quality of life for many city residents. Nine million will be going to stormwater projects, the city purchased fire trucks and used part of the ARPA funds to help businesses and residents in other ways, he added.

Williams too said other parks in the city will be seeing upgrades, such as at Lincoln, Cannon and Elmwood parks, with the city’s budget in the next fiscal year.

To continue the Garfield Park revitalization project, in which the city’s used ARPA funding and the new aquatic center opened this summer, the city sought the additional OSLAD grant funding to complete the project.

The Danville City Council Tuesday night approved, with a 10-2 vote, with aldermen Jon Cooper and Ed Butler voting against it and Rick Strebing and Heidi Wilson absent, $1.379 million in other park improvements at Garfield Park.

A 20 percent construction contingency totaling $275,800 also is being designated for the project.

Ruwe said the bid submitted by Duce Construction includes a football field in the northeast corner of the park, drainage work, sidewalks and an additional parking lot on the east side of the pool building.

Playground equipment and other park amenities are included with the OSLAD grant. This would complete all the planned park work, Ruwe said.

In other business, the Danville City Council Tuesday night also approved the city applying for a $48,000 grant, with a 50 percent match required, through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Tourism Attraction Grant program to enhance the 50th anniversary of the Vermilion River Fall Festival next year at Ellsworth Park.

According to the resolution, “the DCEO is providing grants to assist in the development or improvement of tourism attractions that increase the economic impact of tourism throughout the state.” The fall festival hosts craft vendors, food vendors and attendees from local to out of state.

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