Selmer receives $500,000 park grant

SELMER, Tenn. — A $500,000 grant goes to the city of Selmer to renovate one of the city’s parks.

“It’s a huge deal for Selmer and all the citizens that live here within the county,” Selmer Mayor John Smith said. “You know we’re so excited to get the grant.”

The grant is part of a project that helps local communities develop their local parks. In Selmer, that grant is going toward the development of the infrastructure of Patriot Park, or the North Park.

“There’s so many things that we’re going to be working at at the north park,” Mayor Smith said. “We’re talking about parking, the grounds, irrigation, drainage, fences, concession stands, benches, the list goes on and on.”

The city will match the grant given by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, bringing the total for renovations up to about one million dollars.

“This is going to move that quality of life a little higher than it is now,” said Gerald Parish, director of the TDEC Recreation Educational Services Division. “Plus as we all know that on economical impact that when you bring people into the community to participate, they bring their tax dollars into the town.”

Officials say renovations are expected to start at the beginning of 2019.

“It will more than likely take us at least a year to two years to complete, just depends on once we get started what obstacles we have,” Selmer Parks and Recreation Director Sybil Dancer said.

These developments will help it be handicap accessible and focus on increasing opportunities for residents to be outdoors more.

“We’re ready to start,” Mayor Smith said. “I wish we could start today. Unfortunately we can’t, so it’s going to be a few months down the road, but yeah, we’re excited.”

Paris also received a similar grant Tuesday for construction of a splash pad, pavilions and family areas.