The City of Manhattan and Riley County Parks Boards met for a long-planned joint meeting Monday, discussing looming CiCo Park improvements planned in 2017.
Interim Manhattan Parks and Rec Director Wyatt Thompson.
That quarter cent sales tax funded the creation of Manhattan’s middle school rec centers, with 8 point 5 million dollars in the temporary tax revenue being earmarked toward CiCo Park improvements. Concepts include the reconstruction of 4 new ballfields with synthetic turf as well as 12 tennis courts and paved parking lots – among other items.
Thompson says they’re still on track with the original 2017 timeline, with 2023 to serve as a pre-design public input period and 2024 being when design work incorporating that input will begin in earnest – looking at a 2025 and beyond construction time frame.
Officials also raised the possibility of a land swap between the city and USD 383.
No decision on a swap has been reached, but Thompson says there exists an opportunity to swap out the largely-USD used Norvell Field for the central portion of Griffith Park that the school district owns.
Thompson says if agreed to by both parties, the move could save the city maintenance funds and allow them to be used in other ways.
