The Downtown Development District recently received $1.9 million in federal funding to move forward with Downtown Greenway, a trail connecting neighborhoods and parks.
The total length of the Downtown Greenway would be about 2.73 miles, stretching from City Park to Memorial Stadium and Goldsby Field, according to the Greenway’s application for the Transportation Enhancement Program.
The trail would connect seven parks from the BREC, including the proposed Convention and Seventh Street Park, Spanish Town Park, Goldsby Field, Memorial Stadium, Expressway Park, Brooks Park and City Park.
Gabe Vicknair, development project director for the DDD, said the recent federal grant will go toward the first phase outlined in the Greenway’s feasibility and cost study — a conceptual schematic created in March 2010 outlining possible project options.
The first phase includes a stretch of trail from BREC’s City Park to the North Boulevard Town Square.
Additional funds will be gathered to create a full greenway plan with specified path configurations and amenities.
Vicknair said the Downtown Greenway is important to reach out to other communities and increase connectivity to one another and to downtown, while providing alternative transportation between downtown and residential neighborhoods.
“The most interesting aspect of it is the connectivity of different neighborhoods that are not connected now,” Vicknair said. “It will break down the physical and psychological barriers around the [Interstate] 110 area. We’d like to address those areas under the interstates with some lighting and some point.”
Planning should begin early in 2012, with construction starting toward the end of next year. Phase one could be completed after about six months to a year of construction.
Vicknair said one of the greatest challenges ahead will be to identify funding for the next phases of the project.
“We feel confident we can identity those funds through [Department of Transportation and Development] and federal grants,” he said. “Other obstacles could be crossing busy intersections, like Government Street. We have to make sure the crossing point has adequate lighting signals to make the crossing of Government as safe as