REMINDER: Berkley Parks & Recreation to Host Grand Opening for New Park on Friday, June 11, 2021
Media Contacts:
Theresa McArleton; Parks & Recreation Director; tmcarleton@berkleymich.net; 248-658-3479
Torri Mathes, Community Engagement Officer; tmathes@berkleymich.net; 248-658-3333
Berkley, MI - June 9, 2021 - Berkley Parks & Recreation is excited to host their grand opening for the Oxford/Merchants Park Development happening Friday, June 11, 2021, at 4 PM (2100 Bacon Ave. Berkley MI, 48072). The department is encouraging and inviting residents and community members to attend the grand opening festivities.
The park’s grand opening celebration includes a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event with Berkley Mayor Dan Terbrack and honored guests, the reveal of a new park name, and live music by Harmonic Swell & The Bridge of Reverberation. The celebration will be abiding by the CDC and State COVID-19 public health guidelines for outdoor gatherings.
"In the last year, we have seen how much value our parks and community gathering spaces hold, said Theresa McArleton, Parks & Recreation Director. “We hope this newly developed park will serve as a beautiful place for Berkley families to come together for years to come."
The development of this park will serve as a significant destination point for the city. It is a place for Berkley residents and community members to gather, celebrate, play, connect, and be a space for solidarity.
Planning for the new park included extensive community outreach which allowed the public to determine park features and provide valuable insight on the design. Phase one of the new park and its 6.7 acres will feature the installation of restroom facilities, a splash pad, play structures, and walking paths to the recreational amenities. Partial funding came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) program. The LWCF provided a $180,000 grant to support the development of this park.
“The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is proud to be a partner in this project by providing a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund program,” said Merrie Carlock, Grant Coordinator at Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Projects like this do not just happen, they take a considerable amount of effort by all parties involved. The DNR would like to congratulate the City of Berkley on successfully completing this project from the initial design, obtaining the grants, and completing the Oxford/Merchants Park project. The DNR is proud to be a partner in this project and hopes that it will provide a great recreation experience for the citizens of this community and its visitors for many years to come.”
For more details and to learn more about the park and grand opening, visit the City’s website at www.berkleymich.org/oxford-merchant-park-plan.
About the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
The LWCF is a federal program administered by the United States Department of Interior’s National Park Service and implemented locally by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
LWCF was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy and is funded through oil and gas revenues from such places in the Gulf of Mexico. To date, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has supported over 40,000 projects with 3.9 billion dollars in grants for parks and trails throughout the United States.
Since 1973, the City of Berkley has been awarded over $325,000 in Land and Water Conservation Funds to enhance the community and provide resources for public recreation. For Berkley’s Oxford/Merchants Park Splash Pad and Restroom improvements, the Land and Water Conversation Fund provided a $180,000 grant for this park improvement project.