It was easy to tell “who” from “whom” at the grand opening last week of the redeveloped Peaselburg Park on Howell Street.
Covington Mayor Joe Meyer helped cut the ribbon while City Commissioners, Parks & Rec officials, and youth watched, but not for long (provided photos).
“Officials” – for the most part – cut a ribbon and stood around.
The kids?
They played.
They swung from the “monkey bars.” They shot basketball. They kicked a soccer ball. They climbed on playground equipment. And they thought up fascinating designs for face painting.
“All in all, just a great time,” Covington Parks & Rec Manager Rosie Santos said. “It definitely showed how eager the neighborhood was for us to get this finished.”
The redevelopment is the second City park/playground to be finished on an ongoing, overlapping schedule that aims to have one park under construction each year while another is under design and a third is before the public for their thoughts and ideas.
After the City officially cut the ribbon on the redeveloped Peaselburg Park last week, youth swarmed the park to play basketball and soccer and climb on playground equipment.
Previously, Father Hanses Park at West 11th Street and Hermes Avenue in Lewisburg was completed. Barb Cook Park at the northern end of Ashland Avenue in Latonia is next in line for construction.
Next up for planning is Goebel Park. The City is asking residents to give input on how to improve Goebel by taking this brief survey, GOEBEL.
Meanwhile, on the 30,000-foot level, the City is turning its attention to the future of recreation in Covington citywide, and residents can help:
•One, if you haven’t already done so (and close to 1,000 people have done so) fill out this master plan survey here.
•And two, attend the community meeting on the Parks & Rec master plan this Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 20 West Pike St.
“We can’t stress to our residents enough how much weight we give to their ideas and opinions,” Santos said. “This is their park system.”
In fact, the final layout and design of the redeveloped Peaselburg Park – which included everything from new fitness equipment to soccer goals to shaded picnic tables and a water fountain – was largely a product of the neighborhood’s vision, she said.
Likewise, the pending new look for Barb Cook was taken from an array of public input opportunities.
City of Covington
