A facelift at the 16th Street Park in Sharpsburg is a sign of great things to come, according to borough officials.
Arguably among the borough’s most popular recreation spots, the park sits along Main Street across from the municipal offices. Its official name is the Marion Gerardi Memorial Park.
“It’s been a long time coming and great things are happening,” councilman Jon Jaso said.
Work includes upgrades to the pavilion, resurfacing the basketball court, the addition of shaded seating and an acrylic surface at the splash pad.
Total cost is expected to be about $165,000 – only about $25,000 of which will come from the borough budget.
Sharpsburg was awarded a $140,000 state grant through the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program. Money was made available through the Act 13 Marcellus Legacy Fund.
“We hope to have a grant agreement in place this spring so we can bid the work for 2025,” borough manager Christine DeRunk said.
The actual timing will depend on when the agreement is finalized.
“It is probably the most popular in the borough for the kiddos,” Jaso said. “Especially during the summer, since it has the water sprinkler and the new playground that was donated just a couple years ago.”
Sharpsburg officials dedicated revamped equipment in 2022 that features ADA-compliant slides, tubes and swings atop a rubber surface.
It was funded by a $125,000 donation from an O’Hara family to pair with a $250,000 state grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Jaso said the coming renovations are a response to a request by borough youth who attended a council meeting about two years ago and made an impassioned plea to fix the basketball court asphalt.
“Now we can finally get it done,” he said.
There is currently concrete under the splash pad as well that “doesn’t feel good if you fall on it,” Jaso said.
The acrylic topper should remedy that.
Additional seating and pavilion renovations are meant to provide a space for all ages to enjoy the area.
“A lot of the grants that we have been getting are for infrastructure improvements and not that sexy,” Jaso said. “People don’t really see them but this is something that everyone will see and enjoy for many years.”