A Modest Proposal

The Borough of Wilkinsburg is applying for a grant from the state’s 2018 Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund for Rosa Parks Park!

These CITF grants are available to municipalities and other entities for use in public infrastructure projects. More information about the grants can be found on the Allegheny County website.

The rough proposal covers a variety of tasks necessary to transform the space and add improvements – summary below. Note that this is not a strict statement of plan, just general descriptions used to create a round budget for inclusion in the grant application. Proper design work and community input meetings will be held at a future date, should the grant be approved. It’s critical that a park like ours, in the middle of a block, is built with direct input from the neighbors.

Summary of Proposed Work

  • Removal of old concrete and pavement
  • Clean fill, seeding, landscaping
  • Brush and Tree removal/trimming
  • Remove and Update main electrical service
  • Remove and Replace all buried electrical
  • 12 new lighting fixtures installed
  • Sidewalk replacement/installation
  • Benches
  • Basketball Court
  • Fencing
  • Engineering and Design

In total, the grant requests $96,000 in funding, with the Borough committing to an additional $10,000. That kind of money can make a big difference in our little shared space, so let’s all hope together that the grant is approved.

In the meantime, stay tuned for another update in the near future. Spring is almost upon us, and that means time for cleanup and improvement projects.

National Night Out

National Night Out Logo

We’re happy to announce that the Greater Park Place Neighborhood Association and Peebles Block Club will be hosting a National Night Out gathering in the park on August 1st, from 6-8pm.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. We encourage everyone to come out and join us, meet some friends and neighbors, and enjoy some snacks.

Plans for the Park

During the evening, we’ll present information on two different paths for the future of the park. Make sure you drop by and check out the ideas, then vote for which one you think best represents your vision of the future of the space.

The feedback of neighbors is the most important part of this process, so we hope to see lots of folks coming out!