Welcome to the Ideas of March. Over the next couple of weeks, the Source has partnered with Mansfield Rising and the Richland County Foundation to introduce 9 new ideas for a better Mansfield and Richland County. Each day will bring a new idea and a new opportunity. Tell us what you think of this idea by completing the feedback form at the bottom of this story!
MANSFIELD — Central Park is the front door to Mansfield, and should enrich our citizens lives and welcome visitors to the city.
Over the years it has become a crowded memorial space in the midst of one of the least quiet and reflective places in the city.
Currently, Central Park neither serves the purpose of quiet reflection and contemplation that the memorials deserve, nor has the room to be a true community gathering space.
Through creative placemaking, we have the opportunity to uplift and inspire by developing a welcoming New Central Park, a serene Mansfield Memorial Peace Garden, and a vibrant Legacy Park for the benefit of all.
These are not just parks, but active public spaces that converge and form culture for the city that will enhance the positive changes of the Main Street Corridor Project.
Redesigning Central Park will open new opportunities for art fairs, farmer’s markets, and other community gatherings, while still providing space for daily respite.
An accessible Open-Air Pavilion, trees wrapped in lights, u-shaped seating, and extensive tree canopy, will transform the cluttered park into an urban oasis at the heart of our city.
Mansfield Memorial Peace Garden will be a space to honor those who have served and allow for private reflection and remembrance.
Thoughtful monument placement of our current memorials, accessible pathways, seating, nature, mature trees, flags, and a sense of reverence and quiet will show respect and gratitude to those who served.
Mansfield Memorial Peace Garden will be a place to commemorate military holidays, hold celebrations of honor, and family picnics.
Legacy Park will celebrate the rich diversity of our community, and the heritage of Black history in Mansfield.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr — who gave the dedication at Mt. Hermon Baptist Church where his uncle was a pastor, and returned to Mansfield to deliver a sermon to a packed congregation — will be honored with a vibrant freestanding lighted mural and a podium sculpture to inspire future generations to speak.
The park will create a lasting tribute to Sarah Daisy Barker Thomas, who taught music and founded the local NAACP. Her father George Barker, who was at one time an enslaved person, was one of the first African Americans to purchase a lot and build a home in Mansfield.
These incremental changes to our existing spaces will be a catalyst for building a sense of culture, identity, well-being, and connection; bridging the gap from where we are to what we could be, and enhancing the quality of life in Mansfield.
Project breakdown
Est. Cost: The costs of this project are variable and site specific with the initial estimate being between $1.5 to $3 million total.
Process: The process for creating these spaces begins with reallocating the existing sculptures to new locations.
Potential Partners: Partners could include the City of Mansfield, Richland County, Sponsors of the current monuments, Richland County Foundation, Veterans Administration, Richland County Historical Society, Mt. Hermon Baptist Church, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, NECIC.
Timeline: The work of bringing these spaces to life could happen relatively quickly once final decisions are made.
From start to finish, this project could take 2 to 4 years.
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