North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The City of Fayetteville has recently acquired surplus land from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to be used for the expansion of Veteran’s Park. The 8-acre site became available after NCDOT replaced the Rowan Street bridge with a new structure.
The park’s design phase is nearing completion and the city expects to begin construction in the coming months, following a bid process. Preliminary grading work is now underway and extra soil to several parks & recreation bond projects in need of fill dirt such as Senior Center East, Mazarick Park Tennis Center and Mable C. Smith Park.
Construction is expected to be completed within 12 months. When finished, the park will feature an expansive green space and parade ground, a hero’s walk, parking and a pedestrian bridge connecting the new site to the existing Veteran’s Park.
Projects using excess soil round out the bond package approved by voters in 2016. At the end of the month, the Bill Crisp Senior Center will open and next summer a site near the Murchison corridor will be completed.
During last week’s council meeting, a contract was approved for construction of a $2.4 million building for the Tennis Center. When complete, the center will be a destination for both tournament and recreational play for residents and visitors alike.
Together with the six splash pads, several park upgrades, a downtown skate park, Jordan soccer complex, facility updates, a sports complex, Gilmore Recreation Center and the extension of the Cape Fear River Trail, these projects collectively represent more than $35 million.