By Michael Howell
The citizens of Hamilton have approved a $1.35 million bond for the purchase of 5.9 acres of land along 10th Street that contains Claudia Driscoll Park and the old National Guard Armory Building. According to Special Projects Director Dennis Stranger, $1.2 million goes to the purchase of the land and Armory building, $100,000 will go to park improvements and $50,000 may go to pay for the cost of issuing the bonds.
Mayor Jerry Steele said that he was very happy that the bond was passed. He said it was a big benefit to the city to actually own the land that Driscoll Park sits on to insure continued public use. He said it also gives the city the opportunity to develop a new Justice Center, a plan that has been in the works for a long time.
“Right now though,” said Steele, “the focus is going to be on getting some upgrades to the park.” The first thing will be a new restroom facility and that alone will cost about $100,000. The current restroom is on a septic that is failing and the new restroom would be hooked up to the city’s sewer system on 10th Street. He said the old restroom structure would have to be torn down.
Steele said that the city had an architect looking at the Armory building in terms of designing a Justice Center complex and the Council would go from there. He said the aim was to get the courts and the police over there and, if not, then at least the police. He said the Foxfield property that was originally purchased for a justice center will probably be put up for sale and those funds would go into the Justice Center project.
“I’m glad the voters agreed with this. That park was worth preserving,” said Steele.