Village builds pocket park – The Tribune

COAL GROVE – The village of Coal Grove will get a little more public space.

The company recently received a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to convert a piece of land into a small park.

“This grant came from the CAO and the county commissioners,” said Mayor Andy Holmes. “We were awarded $135,000 to spend on beautification at the way station.”

The future park site is located at the corner of Lane Street and Marion Pike. A few years ago, the village bought the land for $20,000 and razed the dilapidated home.

Holmes said the scope of the project includes a pavilion, decorative fencing and some concrete sidewalks.

“It will be a quaint little place, we call it a pocket park,” Holmes said. “The idea is that teenagers and children can come there and have their picture taken before a dance.”

He added that the park will also honor the village's veterans.

The war memorial at the old Monitor School is donated by owner Mike Finley, who is also a county commissioner.

“He agreed to return the stone and war memorial to the village,” Holmes said. “It’s almost 100 years old. This monument was built for a reason and we want to honor that.”

He said the project was being handled by the CAO and Hemmings Construction was awarded the contract. He doesn't expect the work to really start until spring.

“We consulted with them and shared our ideas about what we wanted it to look like,” Holmes said. “The work has not started yet but it should start soon. Since there is a lot of concrete work to be done, we have to wait for better weather. And we want to work out all the details and make sure we get the best bang for our buck.”