4 minute read
Bell Park Facelift
FACE LIFT Bell Park Receives STORY BY Scott Cutlip
Upgrades have been quietly made at Bell Park recently. e over 38-acre park is somewhat of a jewel in Greenwood, but one that is not quite as well known as it should be.
Advertisement
Parks director Tammy Briley spoke of some of the improvements she believes might change that.
One of the recent upgrades has been converting one of the basketball courts into four pickleball courts. Pickleball is a paddleball sport, easily played by people of all tness levels, which combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. e basketball courts were also resurfaced.
e biggest improvement has been the continuation of the promenade. e promenade is a paved walkway along the edge of the top of Bell Park, which overlooks Greenwood. At the time of publication, Phase II will either have ended or neared its end. Possible plans for Phase III will be discussed at the May parks commission meeting.
26
WWW.GREENWOODARLIFE.COM | JUNE 2020 | Greenwood Life
e parks commission, along with the city council and parks director and the nance director, will get together mid-year to discuss the budget for Phase III. at’s also when they’ll know what other improvements to the park the budget will allow them to do. e cost for Phase II was approximately $164,000, which was paid for with an 80/20 matching, with 20 percent of the cost being matched by a grant. e entire promenade cost is estimated to be approximately $300,000.
Phase I is along the south side of the park, going along the cli s and behind the pavilion.
“ ey’re in the process of completing Phase II,” said Briley. “It’s going to be a trail that if anybody wanted to just walk around Bell Park, you could do it on a sidewalk surface. When this Phase II is complete, it will go across the street and go over to the playground area and along the top of the amphitheater and end up back at the beginning.”
Future plans might include more trails that would eventually connect back into the city, but no time table has been set. e parks commission also acquired 19 acres adjacent to Belle Park. “ ere will be improvements to that area that they’ve not determined yet,” Briley said. “We acquired the road, so that we will actually have it that won’t be just one way in and out; we’ll have a road that you could actually drive through Bell Park and out another road.”
New swings have been installed in the lower park, including a Skills Builder swing set, which is a handicap-accessible swing that can be adjusted to hold the child. Overall, the cost of all the swings
(FACING PAGE) New toddler equipment added to upper playground. (BELOW) Resurfaced pickleball courts and basketball court.
Photos courtesy of Greenwood Parks Department
Greenwood Life
| WWW.GREENWOODARLIFE.COM | JUNE 2020
2 7
PRE-QUALI FOR YOUR PERFECT FY HOME GET STARTED WITH OUR EASY-TO-USE APP
arvest.com/home4me
Arvest does not charge a separate fee for using its mobile apps. Messaging and data charges may apply, see your wireless carrier for details. Loans subject to credit approval.
Member FDIC
28
WWW.GREENWOODARLIFE.COM | JUNE 2020 | Greenwood Life
was approximately $7,800. In addition, Greenwood high school student Kennedy Holland raised funds for a wheelchair-accessible swing, which has been ordered and will be placed in the lower playground.
Past improvements to the park that Briley expressed pride in include disc golf, which had been around since Mayor Doug Kinslow was the parks director, and the playground equipment for children ages 3 - 5, which came around because of a conversation Briley and Mayor Kinslow had with a little girl at the park.
“ e mayor said, tell us you’d like to see out here,” Briley said. “And she put her hands on her hips, and she said, something like some playground equipment her size. I came back and presented to the parks commission that we needed some playground equipment that was age appropriate for two to ve year olds.”
Cinda Bell, President of the Bell Park Foundation, said one of the most important improvements to the park in recent years was the resurfacing of the road in Bell Park. at, as much as anything, helped as much as anything, Bell said.
Briley also spoke proudly of the work local Eagle Scouts are doing. Dax Lewis is marking a nature trail from the very top down to the trail, including stepping stones. Trey Smith is working on a large bridge at the Greenwood City Light trail.
Bell said she is looking forward to people spending time in the park again, and expressed admiration for all the hard work Briley has put in as parks director.
“We’re very proud of the park,” Bell said, “and I think there are a lot of people that don’t even know it exists.”
(TOP) New swings at the lower playground. (MIDDLE) Resurfaced basketball court. (BOTTOM PHOTOS) Construction on the expansion of the Promenade. Photos courtesy of Greenwood Parks Department.
