The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Friday took a step towards the completion of two projects and authorized town clerk Walter Osborne to promote offers for work in Kuhn Civil Rights Park and Sherman Avenue Park.
Prosecutor Nancy Thomas said a contractor will be hired for both projects.
“We’re going to start building,” said Mayor George Flaggs Jr .. “This is a continuation of the civil rights park and the works on Sherman Avenue Park to be upgraded to be both a family park and a baseball park.”
The Kuhn Civil Rights Park will be built on the site of the former Kuhn Memorial Hospital, which was demolished in 2019.
The board approved a $ 15,000 contract with Wier Boerner Allin Architecture in January 2020 to design the park, prepare construction documents, negotiate with the contractor and oversee the construction of the park.
Flaggs appointed a seven-person committee in December to develop the design and concept of the park on the former hospital site, which will include a walking trail and serve as an educational resource, highlighting the importance of Kuhn and the civil rights era to the community.
The park is expected to have monuments to Kuhn and Dr. Martin Luther King as well as markings that show the contributions of local residents, churches and organizations to the civil rights movement.
Original plans for the Kuhn property included multi-purpose development of houses and retail stores as well as recreational areas. After the board couldn’t find a nonprofit for the development, Flaggs suggested the park.
Sherman Avenue Park is in the Kings community and has long been neglected.
Michael Mayfield, Alderman of North Ward, said the works at Sherman Avenue Park include installing play equipment and other facilities.
“We have the (grill) grills and will modify the concession stand,” he said. “We’re going to have a playground and we’re going to be much more conducive to children and make it a family-oriented park. It will be nice. People will be really proud of it. “
About John Surratt
John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter, and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. He has been with the Vicksburg Post since 2011 and covers the city administration. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.
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