WEST POINT – Sally Kate Winters Park and its beloved gazebo are getting a facelift as part of $300,000 in improvements planned by the West Point-Clay County Growth Alliance.
Park renovations, which include building a new gazebo, new landscaping and a renovated bridge, began Tuesday when Silverleaf Construction Inc. demolished the park’s roughly 45-year-old gazebo, said Growth Alliance Director Lisa Klutts.
“There’s a lot of emotions tied to it,” Klutts told The Dispatch on Thursday. “… People got married there. They’ve had family reunions and class reunions (at the gazebo). They’ve had prom pictures made there. It has served the community well for close to 45 years, but it’s just time. It’s just worn out.”
Since the park’s initial construction in the 1980s, much of its infrastructure has fallen into disrepair. With an August deadline set to spend American Rescue Plan Act funds, Klutts said Growth Alliance leadership decided to finally pull the trigger and finish the project, which had been in planning for four years.
Since 2022, the nonprofit has received $161,400 in ARPA funds. The remaining cost of the project will be covered by a $138,600 allocation funded from the nonprofit’s Prairie Arts Festival Fund and its share of the city’s 2% tourism tax revenue.
Beautification efforts will also include adding picnic tables at the park alongside repairs to the park’s fountain and bridge.
Klutts said since the gazebo was demolished Tuesday, she has seen several posts on Facebook from locals questioning why the group took down the West Point fixture instead of refurbishing it.
While the gazebo held local significance, Klutts said its rusted scaffolding and rotted wood made it unfeasible to repair.
“There was no way to separate it all out, and honestly, the wood was all rotten (on the) platform that was built around it because of a drainage issue,” she said. “(It) has buckled and cracked over the years. … So No. 1 (it was) a safety issue. No. 2, we didn’t want it to be half new and half old.”
The Growth Alliance has received bids for the project’s construction since advertising began in April, though Klutts did not specify how many. Construction is expected to begin by June, and the project will be completed sometime after September, she said.
Klutts is looking forward to seeing the project come to fruition and believes the renovations will benefit what she views as the heart of downtown.
“It can be a best-kept secret for people that aren’t from West Point to discover,” Klutts said. “To have a green space downtown that is really tranquil (and) it’s an inviting environment. … The park is well used, and the gazebo is just a nice focal point for people to gather for events or just to hang out.”
Mayor Rod Bobo said he was glad to learn that the downtown park is getting the attention it deserves after decades of neglect. It will only strengthen the city’s image as a tourism destination, he said.
“We’re always looking for ways to make our downtown more appealing to our residents, as well as people who may visit the city,” Bobo told The Dispatch. “With that respect, this is just another feather in our hat.”
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