ALTON - Several improvements are planned for a few Alton parks later this year, including Milton Park, Gordon Moore Park, Olin Park, and more. Alton Parks and Recreation Department Director Michael Haynes said they’re starting to get bids from contractors, and most of these projects should be completed later this spring and summer.
Haynes said one such project is the installation of a new playground at Milton Park after one has been missing for years.
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“We’ve had Milton Park earmarked for several years now as trying to get something in there. There used to be a playground there years ago, it just got old and we had to take it out due to safety concerns,” he said. “We’re going to get one there at Milton for everybody who lives in that area down there.”
Haynes said the Milton Park parking area will have an ADA-accessible walkway up to the new playground, which will feature rubber, pour-in-place surfacing, which he described as the “nicest, safest kind of playground surfacing there is.”
Improvements are also planned for Gordon Moore Park, including a new gate on the park’s IL-140 entrance, which Haynes said was redone years ago but lacked a gate. New fencing is also on the way, in addition to new bathrooms and more.
“Also with Gordon Moore, we are getting some upgraded bathrooms with ARPA money, and we’re going to first work on the bathrooms at the concessions behind Diamond 3 at the softball diamonds,” he said. “Basically, it’s going to be a remodel of the bathrooms - same thing back by the tennis courts, a bit of a remodel for the bathrooms back there as well. Along with that, we’ll put a new metal roof on that concession stand there behind the softball diamonds.”
Olin Park will receive new rubber mulch playground surfacing to help with drainage issues and general playground safety, as Haynes said the surfacing is more “cushiony.” He added that Russell Commons Park will also get remodeled bathrooms with new doors, and Northside Park is currently in the process of getting a new swing set.
The Milton and Gordon Moore Park improvements will be funded by the 2023 Madison County PEP grant, which is pending approval. Haynes said 100% of the PEP funds will go toward these park improvement projects, though an exact amount is not yet available. The Olin Park project is funded by a recent grant from Madison County, and the Gordon Moore Park bathroom improvements are funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Haynes said that he hopes to have another big project to discuss within the next month, though exact details are still under wraps for now. To find out more about the Alton Parks and Recreation Department, visit their website or Facebook page.
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