SUMTER, S.C. — Improvements and new additions are coming to green spaces in the city of Sumter. City council has been discussing different projects involving four different parks.
“It's irreplaceable. Really it is,” Jacqueline Knoblock says about Memorial Park.
Knoblock lives near the park and says she’s glad to be close to green space.
“Oh it makes me feel very glad to be living here where you get…this is a bonus. You take care of your own gardens if you can, but all of this, this is where our taxes go, people!” Knoblock smiles, gesturing at the park. “You can't put a price on trees and things.”
It’s why the city of Sumter has projects underway focused on improving three parks and creating a new one altogether.
“You want to be a healthy community, right? I tell my kids, ‘Get off your thumbs.’ You know, we want to get out, go play, go play basketball, go play on the playground,” Mayor David Merchant says, referencing cell phone use. “I don’t want to just focus on the kids because it's so much of all of our citizens, older adults, maybe retirees you'll notice, it'd be walking tracks you know, they can do laps in the park as well. So just to encourage everyone to get out and be active in our community.”
Merchant has been discussing the different projects with the rest of the city council, finalizing details. The biggest project will be the South Sumter Art Park, which is coming to an empty lot on the corner of Manning Avenue and Orange Street. The plans include colorful basketball courts and a blank wall for local artists to paint.
“I think it's important, you know, depending on what someone's talents or likes or hobbies may be, it may not always be sports,” Merchant shares. “In my family, it’s sports and my daughter is an artist. She enjoys art as well, but sometimes we drift that way. So we need to make sure we have opportunities for different hobbies and different things that people can plug into.”
Merchant says the city received an art grant, which it used to inspire this new development. The grant was supplemented with additional funding from the city, state and private donors, Merchant says.
“Team Sumter coming through and making this happen,” Merchant smiles. “It’s fully designed; it's getting ready to go to bid. So I think we're just a few months away from breaking ground.”
Eric Hickmon lives nearby.
“I could see myself coming out here and sitting down and walking sometimes just chilling,” Hickmon says, envisioning the park. “It'll be a good thing.”
Also in South Sumter, Oakland Park will be expanded on Dingle Street. The update will not only increase the park’s size, but it will add a basketball court and update the current playground equipment.
Merchant says the council will also be working to update Riley Park.
“Riley Park is, you know, an anchor in our community as far as baseball goes. It’s used by morris college, P15’s, USC Sumter, numerous tournaments that come through,” Merchant explains. “So the wear and tear on that facility over the year…it’s an old facility anyway, so we're excited about just general upgrades on that facility. We’re adding some turf around the infield and the warning track and safety netting and screens and just general overall appearance.”
General upgrades are also coming soon to Memorial Park, where nearby resident Eddie Calvin plays golf every day.
“I think everything’s nice,” Calvin tells me. “You’ve got a beautiful park, beautiful view, nice walk.”
And soon, it will all be improved as the council works out final details.
Merchant says funds have been secured for both Oakland Park and the South Sumter Art Park. He says the bids will be awarded soon and contractors are expected to break ground in the next few months.
When it comes to all of these projects being in the works at the same time, Merchant says the season of life he’s in has inspired the focus on parks.
“With still kids in the home, you know, we focused on that some,” Merchant explains about when he was elected. “And you know we took an inventory of all our parks and what are the needs of where they are and what kind of condition are they in.”