Park project nets big grant (7/19/05)

After several years of rejection, and just months after a nudge from the land donor, partial funding for Hudson Family Park is finally on the way.

State officials confirmed this morning that the city of Portland has been awarded a $560,000 Transportation Enhancement grant to develop walking paths and trails through the new park being planned south across the Salamonie River from Weiler-Wilson Park.

The city will have to provide a $140,000 match for the grant, which is administered by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Local banker Barry Hudson, whose family donated the land for the park to the city in September of 2000, reminded the park board in May that the city only has five more years to develop the park. After that time, the land will be given to Arts Place, he said.

Portland Park Board president Neil Medler said this morning the grant will be used to create a trail system throughout the park. Plans are to connect Weiler-Wilson and Hudson Family Park via a pedestrian/bike bridge across the Salamonie River near Portland Pool.

The TE grant was applied for in late February through Hannum, Wagle & Cline, an engineering firm from Indianapolis, he said.

The city applied for the same grant in 2003 and 2004 and was turned down both times. The park board asked for $1.2 million.

“Naturally, you hope for the ($1.2 million), but we’re very happy with what we got,” Medler said. “This is a great start.”

Medler said the city’s match could be funded through private donations, he said. Also, if city employees or materials owned by the city are used for the construction of the trails, this could be used as credit toward the city’s portion, Medler said.

The city will probably apply for the same INDOT grant again in the future, he said.

INDOT spokesperson Afua Anokwa said this morning that a total of $17.5 million was awarded for 29 projects statewide. The money for the grants is provided by the federal government, but administered by INDOT.

The more than 34-acre park will be located southeast of Weiler-Wilson Park. The cost to develop the park has been estimated at $3.4 million.

The park board has already spent more than $60,000 planning the park.

The Portland Board of Works voted last week to chip in $48,280 of the city’s cumulative capital development funds to pay for the engineering work for phase one of the park project. City officials also are considering using $176,052 of the city’s economic development income tax funds to pay for the construction of the park entrance.

Engineering firm Schneider Corporation of Indianapolis has been hired to design the park entrance, which includes decorative lighting, a sign, a circular drive and a small replica of the Arch Bridge.

Phase one of the project includes razing the former hatchery building, located on South Wayne Street near Union Street, and creating the park entrance area.

The park board announced in March that the Indiana Department of Natural Resources had issued a permit for a walking bridge to be installed across the Salamonie River. The bridge will connect Weiler-Wilson and Hudson Family parks.

Plans call for an iron bridge currently located in Knox Township to be disassembled, repaired, then put back together. Board members learned in December 2003 that a $339,2000 INDOT enhancement grant had been awarded for the bridge repairs and relocation.[[In-content Ad]]