Kendrick Vann, director of Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks, along with Tara Goolsby, facilities manager, and Victor Hunt, program specialist, were on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss department updates.
According to Vann, the Recreation Department is currently working with City of Henderson and Vance County officials to obtain a park and recreation trust fund grant totaling $500,000 to build a new public park at the corner of Williams and Montgomery Street in Henderson. Vann said the current plan asks the City and County to match dollar for dollar up to $250,000.
If the grant is obtained, funding will be used to build a skate park, bike park, splash pad, outdoor exercise and fitness stations, a shelter for picnics and a walking trail that will encompass the park.
“We want to make Henderson one of the greatest cities in the area, and we want to show that by having a diverse park,” said Vann.
Vann said much of the planning was the brainchild of Recreation employees Alan Gill and Steve Osborne, along with the “hard-working” Recreation Advisory Committee who had the goal of accessibility in mind when creating the park’s design and layout.
“One of the biggest issues people tell us they have with using public parks and facilities is accessibility,” said Vann. “People aren’t always able to get to the Aycock Rec. Center, for example, because they say it is on the outskirts of town.”
After holding several pop-up community events at the corner of Williams and Montgomery Street, a spot some may recognize as the site of the former Vance Hotel, Vann said the committee realized they had an ideal park location.
“We started having community events such as ‘Stop the Violence,’ and we saw that it was a great location because we had a lot of attendance. The team discussed it and said that would be a great place to put a park, especially in conjunction with the happenings in downtown Henderson.”
Vann is referring to the close proximity of Perry Memorial Library, the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center and the future outdoor Breckenridge Pavilion, as well as restaurants, shops and special events such as the annual Vance County Relay for Life and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce’s “Meet Me in the Street” series.
The first of two scheduled public meetings for the community to hear additional information about the proposed park and to provide input was held Tuesday evening at City Hall.
While turnout was low, Vann hopes to see more of the Henderson-Vance community at the next meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening, Thursday, April 25, 2019. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the City Council Chambers located at 134 Rose Avenue in Henderson.
“We invite the public to come out to hear the latest on park plans and to bring all ideas and questions that you have,” Vann implored.
Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow, who stopped by during the live interview, weighed in on the proposed park. “It’s a key location for the City; it’s right downtown and it’s been empty for over 20 years. This is an element that the City has been missing for a long time and something that Kendrick has been pushing for, and I’ve pushed for it with him. He has a vision, and we’ve got to follow that vision. It will be great for downtown.”
To hear the Town Talk interview with Vann in its entirety, including additional H-V Recreation & Parks updates from staff members, click here.