Greenwood plans for play

Reconstruction is almost complete and will bring residents in Greenwood a new and improved recreation center, located at the old town park located on Fort Road, also known as Highway 69.
Plans to reconstruct the park and spruce up its worn out look have been under way for the past two years. The hope of Mayor Charles Sanders is that the construction will be complete by the end of the 90-day contract, which will be up around the end of December.
The new recreation center will house a new kiddy playground, with all new toys and equipment, a regulation-size basketball court and batting cages adjacent to the existing baseball field.
The baseball field will also see some improvements with the clean up of the field and the addition of benches in the dugouts.
“We are working on getting a better area for the smaller children to play,” Sanders said. “We would like to see more children out enjoying the fresh air and getting some exercise in a safe but fun place to play.”
The town also will be installing a new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant entrance. Disabled residents have in past years struggled to get in the dirt entrance.
All was made possible by two grants distributed to the town of Greenwood by the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, through the the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The program aims to administer grants to local governments in need of financial assistance for development or acquisition of land, to be used for public outdoor recreation.
FRDAP distributed two grants of about $135,000 to cover expenses for the project. After months of deliberation by FRDAP, the town finally received word that the grant was approved, and it received the first check July 1, 2008.
Sanders expressed his hope for future grants, in order to continue making additions and improvements to the recreation center. There is talk of a possible soccer field addition, and a reconstruction of the tennis courts.