Huntsville passed a budget that includes $27 million for public parks and recreation projects. One of them is John Hunt Park.
The City is investing $9 million to give John Hunt Park a major face-lift. When it’s complete the park will be a recreation paradise.
Construction is currently underway at the park located in Southwest Huntsville. Community leaders have been trying to renovate it into a recreation mecca. So what can you expect once the $9 million project is complete?
“There’s a cross country track that’s in the process of being constructed,” explained District 4 Councilman Bill Kling.
The new running course will accommodate a 10k race for men’s and women’s track and field at the high school and collegiate level. The renovations also include a mountain bike trail and brand new competition level soccer fields.
“Alabama state high school soccer championship tournament has been held at John Hunt Park and I think that’s something that we’re really proud of,” Kling continued.
The plan is to connect John Hunt Park to other parks nearby.
“We are actually adding additional soccer fields where the old vocational tech center used to be on Drake Avenue, so that Merrimack Park is going to be connect to Brahan Spring Park which will be connected to John Hunt Park, so that’s going to make it such a large green area in the heart of the city,” he added.
When complete next summer, John Hunt Park will be a sports playground the entire city can enjoy.
“I like the fact that here in this big growing city that we have, we have a nice green area for recreation, so that people can enjoy soccer. They can enjoy jogging, they can bicycle there’s horseshoe pitching, there’s Frisbee golf. All sorts of recreational things and I think that’s a good thing for the city of Huntsville to have,” Kling explained.
When this first round of renovations are complete, the City will begin work on adding two new multi-purpose playing fields and skateboard park.
