(City of Fayetteville)The city will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the recent improvements to Gulley Park at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 6.
The event will take place at the newly constructed playground area near the Township Street entrance. Speakers will include Mayor Lioneld Jordan and Ted Jack, the city’s park planning superintendent.
The new playground area features towers with slides, see-saws, swings, and spinners. It also includes an interactive water fountain, a pavilion with soft surfacing for physical activities, and areas dedicated to ping pong and chess.
Additionally, the playground area includes works by local artist Eugene Sargent, which pay homage to the site’s history as farmland and its role on the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach route.
The new features are part of the Gulley Park Master Plan, which was developed with input from Fayetteville residents through public meetings and surveys. Since the master plan was updated in 2018, other improvements have included the expansion of existing trails, the construction of the Niokaska Trail, the expansion of the Township Street parking lot, the planting of a pecan orchard, and renovations to the restrooms.
Construction of the playground area cost $1.4 million, with funding provided by a $220,000 grant from the state’s Outdoor Recreation program as well as collections from both the city’s hotel, motel and restaurant tax and parkland dedication fees.
(City of Fayetteville)
(City of Fayetteville)
(Flyer photo)
