City of Goodlettsville Receives $300,000 Grant for the Construction of Splash Pad and Peay Park Re-development
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced yesterday that the City of Goodlettsville has been awarded a Local Parks and Recreation Fund (LPRF) grant of $300,000.00 for the construction of a Splash Pad and other Peay Park re-development components.
“The tireless work that our Board of Commissioners and staff do to enhance the quality of life for our residents is proven by the work that went into acquiring this grant,” said Tim Ellis, City Manager. “We are definitely ecstatic at the news that we have been chosen to receive the 2016 LPRF Grant”.
The City of Goodlettsville is receiving one of 55 LPRF grants that will be distributed throughout Tennessee. The grants, totaling $17 million, are designed to enhance and expand outstanding recreational projects such as parks, community centers, ball fields and playgrounds, and they are administered through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). $500,000.00 is the maximum grant any community may receive.
“These grants are very competitive so I applaud our local officials for their hard work on behalf of their communities,” Haslam said. “Our goal at the state level is to make Tennessee the very best place to live, work and raise a family, and I want to thank local officials for their partnership in making these grants happen and achieving that goal.”
The Tennessee General Assembly established the LPRF grant program in 1991 to provide local governments with funds to purchase land for parks, natural areas, greenways and recreational facilities. The funds may be used for the development of trails and projects in parks, natural areas or greenways. All LPRF grants require a 50 percent match by the recipient, which means this project cost will total $600,000.00.
“We will have two years from the time the contract is executed to complete this project, but with the pre-planning that has already been underway, we are hopeful that we can have this project completed prior to the summer of 2018,” explained Parks and Recreation Director, Amy Mitchell. “I think that the re-development of Peay Park is critical to the Parks System in Goodlettsville. Peay Park was the first park in the city and was home to many great community events and through the re-development, we hope that it becomes a place, once again, for families and friends to meet and have great recreational experiences.”