TOLEDO, Ohio — The City of Toledo released design ideas Friday for four city parks and announced its plan to break ground on two more come spring.
If you ask the people living on Hamilton Road, Casey Jones Park is very important to the neighborhood.
"Every year we have a big shing-ding and the whole neighborhood comes together and barbecue and have fun," said father and neighbor Damon Dejjornett.
While fun, the park also presents some challenges.
"You know, we're always at this park but we're stuck because there's not much to do now because it's so old and the kids get injured on the old equipment," Dejjornett said.
Toledo Parks Commissioner Karen Ranney Wolkins said the future of this park is based on resident input.
And the work will be done using city capital improvement funds.
"We actually met with the neighbors several months ago and said what would you like to see changed in your park," Ranney Wolkins said.
They'll be getting a new playground, new picnic benches and new charcoal grills.
The city is looking for the same feedback with neighbors around the other five parks announced Friday, which are still looking for approval of funding from the city.
"We're doing initial groundwork and engagement with the communities and neighbors around those parks to get ahead of the funding cycle," Ranney Wolkins said.
But this central Toledo neighborhood is *already making some plans for the new park coming spring of 2022.
"We've been waiting, we've been waiting a long time, it's about time they did something to this park," Dejjornett said.
According to a news release from the city of Toledo, the proposed improvements for the other parks are as follows:
- Edgar Holmes Park: new playground equipment, a new basketball court, a new gazebo, picnic tables, and charcoal grills.
- Goodwin Park: new playground equipment, walking path, and benches.
- Oakdale Park: new playground equipment, benches, picnic tables, charcoal grills, drainage improvements, and resurfacing open air shelter area.
- T. Jean Overton Park: new playground equipment and benches.
- Maya Park: input from neighbors will be solicited to revise the plans.
The city also already approved funding for Feeback Park, 613 Buffalo St. The park improvements for both Casey Jones and Feeback parks are expected to occur during the 2022 construction season, and will include new playground equipment, benches, charcoal grills, and picnic tables for both parks. Additional funding is being sought to cover walking paths, a small picnic shelter, and a rebuilt basketball court.