MANSFIELD — Middle Park in Mansfield is getting a facelift.
The Mansfield Association of REALTORS® is spearheading an effort to install a disc golf course at the park, as well as nature identification signage to educate the public on the various types of plants within the park.
MAR President Robin Walker said the group received a $7,500 placemaking grant for the project from the National Association of Realtors. The association is now seeking sponsorships to cover the rest of the cost. Brightspeed has agreed to match local sponsorship dollars.
“The Hollow at Middle Park Disc Golf Course will be an exceptional facility that attracts disc golf enthusiasts, families, and nature lovers alike,” Walker said.
Sponsorship funds will help support the development, maintenance and special events surrounding the course. Sponsorships range from $250 to $1,500 and come with advertising opportunities within the park.
“We are excited to move forward with the disc golf course,” said Mark Abrams, superintendent of the Mansfield City Parks Department.
“The City would like to thank all the donors and the Mansfield Board of REALTORS for the time and energy they have put into the disc course.”
The realtor’s association is also hosting a clean-up day at the park Thursday at 9:30 a.m.
City planning two bridges at Middle Park
The City of Mansfield is also working on improvements at Middle Park.
Abrams said the park was never technically closed. But for years residents have been unable to walk the full path extending from North Lake Park through Middle Park and into South Park due to the collapse of a previous bridge.
Engineer Bob Bianchi said the city is in the process of installing a new weathered-steel pedestrian bridge at the south end of the park. The project costs just over $243,057 and will be paid for using American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The bridge will be 45 to 50 feet long and eight feet wide with a concrete deck, Bianchi said. It will look similar to the bridge in North Lake Park that connects the parking lot to the B&O Trail.
The city is also replacing a culvert that was washed out. The new “box bridge” will allow pedestrians to cross Stanfield Run and access a pavilion and other areas of the park, including where the disc golf course will be installed.
Both projects are slated for completion around mid-June.
“We’re very excited about these pending improvements and what it’s going to mean to the community and how it enhances the infrastructure,” Bianchi said.
He said the city is still looking at the possibility of adding vehicle parking at Middle Park near the box bridge.
Meanwhile, the Bianchi hopes to have an extended walking trail connecting the North Lake-Middle-South Park trail to Maple Lake Park open by July 4.
