The city of Starkville looks to incorporate smaller parks along with other improvements along Highway 182.
These improvements stem from a Highway 182 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive corridor plan implemented by the Starkville Board of Aldermen. The improvements are to help with aesthetics and take a proactive approach for activities.
Community Development Director Buddy Sanders said these improvements include better streets, lighting and more complete sidewalks along Highway 182.
Sanders said the city is looking at potentially turning the land recently donated from Family Dollar into a small urban park.
“It is our intention to make a “pocket park” out of the property donated,” Sanders said.
The possible installation would include placing benches and urban art, along with wrapped utility boxes. An urban park is when art is commonly placed in public areas and municipalities.
Beautification of the city, Sanders said, has been the new board and mayor’s prerogative since taking office and this is one example of their efforts.
“It is the city’s goal to make Starkville a very clean and livable place,” Sanders said. “Parks have a lot to do with that.”
The benefit of these smaller parks, Sanders said, aside from planting trees, the “pocket parks’ will serve as areas for residents to enjoy themselves and host civic events.
On top of an aesthetic approach, Sanders said utilizing the space can also lead to an opportunity for economic development.
“It’s our goal to have food trucks be allowed in the future,” Sanders said.
The park will take shape within the next 12 months. Sanders said the city has applied for a TIGER grant, which will pay for the “infrastructure improvements.”
Those improvements include additional parks, places with utility lines underneath, better lighting, and improving sidewalks.
He said there won’t be a trickle of installations for the park next to Family Dollar and should have them done at one time. He said those would include benches and areas for residents to utilize.
He said the other areas located on Highway 182 would develop over time.
“It would initially be constructed over multiple phases over multiple years,” Sanders said.