EDENTON -- We are thrilled to share that the Town of Edenton has received $391,437 in grant funding to upgrade and retrofit Morgan Park, the neighborhood park at 106 Robin Lane.
The new play area is expected to be wheelchair accessible via a new sidewalk and access point to the playground. A pavilion will be erected next to the playground to the north, with a resurfaced basketball court to the north of the pavilion. These improvements will substantially reshape the park into something more accessible for not only the neighborhood, but the entire community.
Morgan Park was selected due to its large size, isolation from other parks across Pembroke Creek, and the desire from staff to bring unique amenities to each park.
The grant funding was awarded through the state-level Accessible Parks Grant Program, which provides $12.5 million in matching grants for parks and recreation to benefit people living with disabilities in North Carolina. The Town of Edenton has been asked to match $1 for every $5 in grant funding, which will come from our ARPA funding that was set aside for park improvements in the community.
“This grant award is a game-changer for our neighborhood parks overhaul,” said Town Manager Corey Gooden. “We are not only excited to move forward, but proud of everyone who came together to make this happen. This is just another step for us, we have much more work ahead towards fully upgrading all of our neighborhood parks.”
We thank our Assistant Town Manager & Planner, Dewayne Whealton, for spearheading the application, as well as the Public Works Director, Public Information Officer, and all those who participated in the process to reach this point.
Earlier this month, the Town wrapped the first phase of work on three parks: Paxton Lane Park, Griffith Park, and Stratford-Hawthorne Park. The second phase would include any playground equipment, parking, infrastructure, and security upgrades.
Two parks remain for phase one improvements: Morgan Park and MLK Park. This grant brings Morgan Park into focus while we continue working on MLK Park’s master plan. More information will be shared with the public as we move forward with contracts, groundbreaking and site work.
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