RYAN CORNELL. Daily News Record. June 11, 2015. HARRISONBURG - A 4.2-acre, $5.5 million park envisioned for the city's c
Council Endorses Park Plan RYAN CORNELL Daily News Record June 11, 2015 HARRISONBURG - A 4.2-acre, $5.5 million park envisioned for the city's center is estimated to bring up to 62,000 more visitors to the area annually, members of Plan Our Park say. The committee of Harrisonburg residents presented its latest proposal to City Council on Tuesday. It would include a ship-themed children's play area, a "great lawn" that would host events and performances, and a broad tree-lined promenade arching from South Liberty Street south of the Turner Pavilion to Bruce Street at Blacks Run. Council unanimously voted to move forward with the plan, but no timeline has been established. "So many things about this project make it seem like it's the perfect location at the right time. ... It's not a question of if we're doing it - it's just a question of when and how," said Councilman Kai Degner, who also said the park would offer a way for people who can't afford to eat at downtown restaurants to enjoy the area. Under the conceptual plan, a wing would be added to the Turner Pavilion, home of the Harrisonburg Farmers Market, nearly doubling its size. Plans also call for resurfacing the parking lot of the city's existing Municipal Building. A sloped lawn and herbaceous garden would be built at the southwest corner of the park bounded by South Liberty Street south of the pavilion. A children's area with play equipment and a water splash pad would be built next to the existing Municipal Building behind the Smith and Eastham houses. An economic impact study from Washington, D.C., firm HR&A Advisors says the park would bring an additional 40,000 to 62,000 visitors to downtown each year, increasing spending at nearby businesses by at least $310,000 and meal and beverage tax revenue for the city by at least $18,000. Tuesday's presentation follows years of discussions and previous plans for a park in the area of the Turner Pavilion. The idea for a downtown park first emerged in summer 2011 as an amphitheater with space for thousands of people.
Two years later, the Plan Our Park committee submitted a $10 million public-private partnership proposal to council. The group urged the panel to take action, though council never voted on the proposal. That proposal included the purchase of two houses on South Liberty Street; the construction of a new farmers market pavilion, kitchen and bathrooms; a market square with 72 parking spaces; and a promenade connecting to Court Square. The plan unveiled Tuesday proposes funding its construction through public and private sources. City Council unanimously accepted the conceptual master plan of the park, appointed Councilmen Abe Shearer and Richard Baugh to serve as liaison members on the committee and agreed to consider including the park in its capital improvement plan. Mayor Chris Jones said the park would not only make the city more attractive but also keep parents of college students in town longer, spending more money. "Everyone knows I'm a huge fan of tourism ... and I think this is an excellent idea," he said. Contact Ryan Cornell at 574-6286 or
[email protected] 