![The Laurel Hill council members conduct city business at the Oct. 4 regular meeting. Laurel Hill's city council meetings are the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. [KAYLIN PARKER/NEWS BULLETIN]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-7c73676b-a88b-4239-e053-0100007f4b5f-555a1cbb-scaled.jpeg)
LAUREL HILL — Construction on redevelopment and improvements to Gene Clary Park in Laurel Hill will likely conclude next week, city officials said at the Dec. 6 meeting.
Residents can expect to see the following improvements:
- Renovated basketball courts
- Improved restrooms
- New swings and shading at the playground
- An improved picnic area with new tables and benches
“It is a good improvement to the park,” Mayor Robby Adams said. “It will help utilize, especially in the playground area, the sun shade… [The community] can take pride in the park because it’s looking better. It’s getting more up-to-date replacing some of the old stuff.”
The city received the funds for the improvements in 2016, but construction began around one month ago.
According to Crystal Weatherington, an engineer contracted out by the council, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection awarded the city a $50,000 grant.
“They’re trying to get more of the community to use the park, and in the condition it was in, they didn’t have a whole lot of traffic in the park,” Weatherington said.
The city uses Gene Clary Park each October during the Laurel Hill Hobo Festival, which did not take place this year.
Weatherington said the city could potentially use the park for a little league baseball team.
Although this portion of improvements has been nearly completed, city officials say this is only the beginning of improvements.
Despite construction, the park remains open for the community.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill park improvements near completion