In The News

from The Telegraph
February 8, 2004

Grant will top off restored park

LINDA N. WELLER, The Telegraph

ALTON -- A hefty, $227,900 matching grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will provide the crowning finish on the newly filled-in Hellrung Park, which had been a holey nuisance for years.

The forthcoming money -- along with a previous Weed and Seed program grant of $14,000 from the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office -- means younger children will be able to romp on new "tot" playground equipment with 12 "events" designed for 2- to 7-year-olds.

Next year, the second stage of the project will see picnic shelters, a pavilion and basketball hoops put up and a basketball court paved.

Plans are to later install playground equipment for older children.

"Now we have a chance to take it from being the worst park in the city to the best in town," said Mike Drake, executive director of the Alton Park and Recreation Department.

Hellrung Park is bounded by Central Avenue and Union, Brown and East Seventh streets. The city created the park in 1932, when crews filled in a pond, resulting in a park located in a deep hole.

In recent years, drug dealers and users and prostitutes and their "johns" frequented the park, hidden from the view of police. Families and children stayed away, as a result, and its old, limited playground equipment deteriorated over the years. It also was a haven for graffiti "artists."

Plans had been to install a skate park at Hellrung, but Drake said the 45-foot square of allocated space is too small. He said eliminating that would knock $70,000 off the initial project cost of $455,000.

Drake said he instead would pursue putting in a skate park at another site.

The money is coming from Illinois’ Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund program, both for funding local park projects. Recipients are reimbursed for up to half the cost of a project.

The state is distributing $23 million in the grants.

"Parks provide a safe place for parents to take their children to play, exercise, learn about nature and spend time together," Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in a news release announcing the awards. "They are a focal point and gathering place for many. Local communities large and small across Illinois are matching these funds, dollar for dollar, demonstrating their commitment to these kinds of projects and the need for natural resource protection and outdoor recreation in their towns."

A portion of the funding is allowing acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres of land for parks in towns across Illinois.

The only other recipient of the grant money in this area is the village of Brussels. The town is getting $23,700 to develop its first park, which will be on Main Street and have two pavilions, a playground, walking trail and parking space.

Some of the local "costs" include in-kind work and donations, such as materials that were used to fill in the 2.6-acre park, which cuts another $35,000 off the project price.
Drake said the first work this year will be to check the elevation of the park, possibly adding more fill and hauling in, spreading and grading of top soil.

Bruce Bertolino, executive director of the Alton Weed and Seed neighborhood revitalization and anti-crime program, praised the park improvement project.

"I have nothing but positive things to say. I was a resident of Central Avenue for several years, and I didn’t even know the park was there," he said. "It is perfectly congruent with what Weed and Seed is trying to do."

Amy Sholar, Alton planning coordinator of development and housing, said the grants were competitive and she is glad the large grant is coming through for the project.
"The biggest thing is that this project is happening so fast," she said "It’s going to make a huge difference in the neighborhood. There’s already been a lot of investment in the area. This will only help as an added incentive for investing in the neighborhood. Everybody is behind it."

The park is near the Mexico neighborhood’s 30-home Hampton Place in-fill new housing development, which began seeing residents move in 14 months ago and is going to be expanded.

The project has had a number of individual and department collaborators working together -- from a group of neighbors who provided input with their concerns and what they would like to see placed in the park -- to Weed and Seed, 4th Ward Alderman Fred Young, Alton Park and Recreation and the Public Works Department, among others.

Public Works crews and private firms’ trucks hauled in tons and tons of fill dirt from the lake being dug out at Camp Warren Levis in Godfrey, concrete and nonbiodegradable debris from construction and demolition sites, plus donated limestone to fill most of the hole last year.

The workers filled in the hole within less than five months last year; Drake had predicted it could take a couple of years to obtain enough suitable fill materials, putting the project on the fast track.

In the meantime, the city continues to buy houses for demolition in the area with Community Development Block Grant money. Once they are torn down, the park can be expanded, and the view from the boundary streets will become clearer to police and passers-by.

The City Council on Wednesday will consider voting on resolutions authorizing the mayor and other city officials to buy two more properties: 1111 Union St., at a price not to exceed $24,000; and 717 Central Ave., at a price not to exceed $26,000.

lnweller@hotmail.com

Alton Weed & Seed Strategy
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