Irwin officials are planning to spend about $350,000 to improve Irwin Park and its facilities, including paving a gravel and partial-asphalt parking lot.
The borough wants to pave both parking lots — a large one off Pennsylvania Avenue and a smaller one off 10th Street, replace stormwater inlets on the amphitheater side of the park and piping, add lighting to the parking lot and to upgrade the existing lighting and add pathways to the restrooms, the playground and pavilion, said Shari Martino, borough manager.
Irwin plans to use its Community Development Block Grant funding from Westmoreland County to pay for the improvements.
The borough likely will advertise in February for bids for the project, pending approvals from county officials, Martino said.
Irwin did have a contractor in 2022 do stormwater projects to reduce flooding in the fields and playground areas by directing water to a tributary of Tinker’s Run, which flows alongside the park. A contractor also conducted a flood-and-erosion project along the streambank and in the creek. Rip-rap was placed along the streambank and diverters installed in the channel to direct the current to prevent erosion.
