Veterans Memorial Park sits on approximately 2.5 acres of land on Veterans Memorial Parkway. The park currently has 13 individual memorials and five grand plaques dedicated to all branches of the US Military. Additionally, two separate time capsules are also located within the park.
Currently, there are three, maybe four, spaces that could accept monuments, depending on the monument's size. The city has been approached by four different organizations that have expressed a desire to erect monuments in our park.
All four monuments have received approval and the responsibility for financing their construction lies with the respective organizations.
The city provides the land, a foundation for the monument, landscaping and lighting. However, the city will not cover the cost of the monument itself.
On April 17, 2023, Bradly Keen, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director, addressed the City Council with a request to expand Veterans Memorial Park with the land owned by the city. The parcel is directly east of the current Veterans Park and is approximately 2.83 acres.
Mr. Keen pointed out that “expansion of the current park would offer space for future monuments and memorials.” Additionally, Mr. Keen mentioned that in 2008, the city had designed an expansion plan that would provide additional parking space and could potentially create a parade ground for future ceremonies.
The proposal for expandng the park was well received. Therefore, it was added to the city's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). This is helpful as it helps city leaders to prioritize and focus on projects that require significant funding to complete and helps to identify future or potential funding sources.
Hopefully, in the next five years, we will be able to secure federal grants to help us move forward with the expansion of Veterans Memorial Park while the current park is rapidly preparing to hang out the 'No Vacancy' sign.
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