By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Southside Park and Washington Street Park will be getting a $7.1 million makeover in 2024.
During the first city council meeting of the year, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, council unanimously voted to approve a Parks and Tourism revenue bond that will help to fund improvements to the two parks.
The bond, which will last 15 years, will be funded through the City of Beaufort’s local hospitality and accommodations tax revenue per a release issued by the city.
During the council meeting, Paul Trask and Graham Trask spoke against approving the bond due to concerns that the park improvements do not qualify for the bond because they don’t see how the parks will improve or affect tourism.
Mayor Phil Cromer said that originally, he did not support the bond due to the projected pricing of the parks, but after looking at it more carefully he thinks it is better to get it done all at one time, which was the turning point for him.
“We should get just get it all done in one swoop,” Cromer said.
City Council members also authorized City Manager Scott Marshall to contract with Nix Construction Company of Hilton Head Island to begin the first phase of construction at Southside Park.
The first phase includes two playgrounds, one for younger children and one for older children, a pavilion, pathways, new parking and infrastructure such as stormwater drainage, landscaping, utilities, etc.
The $3.3 million contract is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year.
City Council convened a Southside Park Task Force in early 2021, to plan to improve the 34-acre-park.
Currently, the park offers green space, playing fields, walking paths and a dog park, but there is not a playground there.
The City previously contracted with Woods + Partners to develop a Master Plan for the park, which County Council also adopted.
Southside Park is in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood, and Councilman Neil Lipsitz, who lives in the neighborhood, has acted as a liaison.
A date for groundbreaking has not been announced.
As for the historic Washington Street Park, improvements will include a new pavilion and the relocation of the basketball court in hopes of it becoming a multi-use court.
A Washington Street Park Design Committee, which is composed of neighborhood members and city employees, convened in 2023 to help provide input on improvements to the park.
Washington Street Park is in the Northwest Quadrant in Beaufort.
The Washington Street Park Design Committee is currently working on an updated master plan that will be presented to City Council in late January or February.
These improvements are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
The City has received grants, which it has matched, to pay for some of these improvements.
Delayna Earley formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
