Greensburg’s 2023 agenda includes renovations to several city recreational facilities, among them Spring Avenue Park and some neighborhood playgrounds.

Tapping several grant sources, the city hopes to seek bids in the spring for the proposed $535,000 park makeover in the 5th Ward.

“We’re going to put a lot of money into recreation,” Councilman Randy Finfrock said. “The 5th Ward playground is getting totally rebuilt.”

The new playground equipment for the Spring Avenue Park is being purchased from Sports and Recreation Associates at a cost of little more than $270,000 . That purchase will be covered with federal Community Development Block Grant funds channeled through Westmoreland County.

The play area will offer handicapped-accessibility, said Glenn Moyer, parks and recreation superintendent.

“It will include a rubber mulch surface,” he said. “It’s a long-lasting, low-maintenance item.”

The park’s basketball court will be updated, with the proposed addition of fencing. Some design elements of the park project remain to be determined, including options of adding either a pavilion or a pergola.

Planning director Jeff Raykes said city officials are hopeful revitalization of the declining park will help bring new life to the neighborhood.

He said the park is “the collective front porch of the neighborhood. We hope to attract and retain residents, which leads to improved property values and an improved quality of life.”

The city also will be adding new play equipment at Lynch Field Park, the Northmont Tot Lot and the Barry Court and Coulter playgrounds. To help pay for that apparatus, the city is drawing upon about $188,000 in remaining funds from 2018 and 2020 block grants.

“The play equipment will be a little more elaborate than what is currently there,” said Mayor Robb Bell. “We’re excited to be updating so many areas. It’s going to bring a lot of vibrancy to those neighborhoods.”

The city wants to adopt consistent signage for its various recreational sites, according to Moyer.

“So if you pull up to a city park, you’ll know it’s a city park just from the signage,” he said.

Ice arena update slated

The Kirk S. Nevin Arena, which houses a seasonal ice skating rink at Lynch Field, also is slated to get attention.

Council has accepted a bid of a little more than $2.2 million from Clauger USA, the only prospective bidder, to upgrade the rink’s refrigeration system.

The new refrigerant system is touted as being more environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient than the system it’s replacing, Moyer said.

Funding that is being tapped for that project includes $1.5 million in covid-19 pandemic recovery dollars, available through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Finfrock said the city may draw upon the second $738,000 allotment of its own pandemic recovery funding to help pay for the arena project if other sources fall through.

The city also has applied for a $400,000 grant from the state Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Local Share Account. Those funds are generated through state gambling revenue.

The city will pay Johnson Controls close to $92,000 to replace the rooftop air conditioning system at the arena.

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