NORWICH – Following nearly eight years of perseverance and determination, the city’s Business Improvement District – in partnership with Friends of the Park – broke ground on East and West Park renovations Wednesday.
Heavy equipment first began rolling into East Park on Monday and the area was fenced off Tuesday. Yesterday, Kuhn’s Tree Service began preliminary work, bringing down several trees located on the east side of the park.
Friends of the Park’s Eric Larsen warned that – while things may be a bit messy to begin with – people should be excited for the long-awaited remodeling and renovation of the parks.
“I think the park really cried-out to be re-landscaped and it will look and work better, that’s been our goal from the beginning,” said Larsen. “It really is going to look nice and although it’s going to be a bit of a mess early on, I think people will be excited when they finally get to see the final result. When it’s done, it will be something the entire community can be proud of.”
Wakeman Construction successfully bid for the construction phase of the project not to be performed by volunteers at an estimated $250,000. In the coming weeks, the Sidney-based contractor will begin further excavation in preparation for the foundations of the permanent stage and relocated gazebo in East Park. While that work is underway, Larsen said volunteers will begin the re-landscaping of West Park, including the installation of new sidewalks and electrical conduits, improved lighting, security cameras and new benches and trash receptacles. Once the construction of permanent stage and relocation of the gazebo are completed, a similar re-landscaping of East Park will begin.
While several more diseased trees will be removed from both parks, Larsen said the city’s monuments will remain right where they are, except for the Desert Storm monument, which will be relocated nearby. Improving the safety of the parks has been a primary goal since the project was first proposed, and upgrading the parks’ electrical system was a priority, he added.
Totals donations for the estimated $1 million project exceeded $450,000, reported Larsen, and an estimated 50 percent of the work involved will be performed by local volunteers. Gary Brightman will coordinate the volunteer effort, and a number of local contractors have offered services and materials.
“They’re what make this happen,” said Larsen of the volunteer effort. “Without them, there’s no way we’d ever see this happen.”
Larsen said he hopes to see the project finished by the end of June, just in time for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
BID Executive Director Pegi LoPresti and Larsen wished to thank the over 80 businesses and individuals who contributed to the project, including Silver Sponsors Cliff Crouch, the Norwich Rotary and the Tom and Esther Flanagan Charitable Trust; Gold Sponsors Frontier Communications, the BID, P&G Pharmaceuticals and Preferred Mutual and Platinum Sponsors NBT Bank and the Follett, R.C. Smith and Greater Norwich Foundations.
For more information contact the BID at 336-1811 or Larsen at 334-5653.