$3.5 million ‘revitalization’ project planned for Mansfield’s Sterkel Park

MANSFIELD — Michelle Giess has a plan she hopes will help uncover the “buried treasure” available in Sterkel Park.

The Richland Newhope superintendent, joined by Mansfield Parks and Recreation Supt. Mark Abrams, detailed a $3.5 million revitalization of the southside park to members of Mansfield City Council on Tuesday evening.

“I know it’s kind of a buried treasure in terms of landscape, with a nice, grassy undeveloped area,” Giess said. “This isn’t just an addition of playground equipment. This is an all-inclusive park that is going to bring incredible value to the city of Mansfield.

“People are going to travel to Mansfield to participate and play on this playground equipment,” Giess said.

Neither Giess nor Abrams asked council for additional funding at this point for the project, which would be done in phases in the park south of the Sterkel Baseball Complex and southeast of Newhope’s Raintree residential facility.

The Newhope official, who assumed the agency’s reins in 2018 after almost 30 years with the organization, said Newhope has about $400,000 already committed to the project and will seek additional funds through grants and donations.

Giess said the playground will offer equipment for children of all ages and abilities.

She was also joined during a presentation to council’s parks committee by Sherry Minnig, lead recreation coordinator for Newhope, and Stephen B., who lives in a residential home operated by the agency.

“We’re looking at $3.5 million, maybe a little more,” Giess said. “Right now it’s hard to get an estimate. We all know materials are scarce. Contractors are hard to come by.

“We are passionate about breaking down barriers for people like Stephen so they can play and just be a bigger part of the community,” she said.

Minnig echoed those sentiments about the project, which will include a pavilion, outdoor grill facilities and seating.

“What’s been really important to us over the last couple of years during this planning process is making sure we have have an area that is not only physically inclusive for people of this community, but also socially inclusive,” Minnig told council.

“That’s a high priority to us … that no one feels that they are left out with the plans and the development we are planning here,” Minnig said. “Stephen and I have toured many parks in the state and I can tell you right now this will be a premiere one for Ohio and for our community.”

The playgrounds are designed by MidStates Recreation, a Pataskala-Ohio company whose company website states “inclusion matters.”

Abrams, who did receive council approval for engineering and architectural work for new Sterkel Park restrooms on Tuesday, said the city will also look at an additional parking lot for the park off Cook Road, as well as water and sewer line improvements.

Currently, the park has only aging and/or broken playground equipment.

“We’re not asking for money from (City Council),” Abrams said. “We just want your support and to help us get the word out and get some donations going so we can get to that $3.5 million.”

Abrams said demolition of the park’s tennis courts has already begun and that he would like to start phase one of the new project in the next couple of months..

“We do have some dollars that we can spend and we’d like to start as soon as we can. I believe MidState is chomping at the bit to get started,” he said.

Giess said by breaking the project into phases that work can begin quickly.

“When people start seeing things going up, they’re going to get excited about it, which is going to raise that level of interest and hopefully, participation financially,” she said.

The Newhope superintendent said the agency is partnering with Richland Community Development Group as the financial agent for the project, accepting and processing donations.

After the presentation, City Council voted to accept Newhope’s donated equipment for the plan, fully endorsing the project.

“I think the work that you’ve done to this point is amazing,” said At-large council representative Stephanie Zader.