WILLIAMSBURG — The City of Williamsburg celebrated the newly renovated Highland Park Community Park with a ribbon-cutting Thursday, July 3.
The park features new playground equipment and a refurbished basketball court. Formerly a half-court, the new court is now a modified full basketball court with a second basketball hoop, according to the city. Improvements to the court also include acid washing, crack repair and repainting.
Eletha Davis, a longtime Highland Park resident and a member of the neighborhood’s civic association, spoke at the ceremony, along with Mayor Douglas G. Pons and Parks Superintendent Chris Prewitt. Vice Mayor Pat Dent and Council Member Ayanna Williams were also in attendance.
“It’s wonderful to see Highland Park’s vision for revitalizing the park come to life,” Pons said in a statement. “We truly appreciate the neighborhood’s involvement in the design process, and it’s gratifying to know that we can meet their needs. I want to thank everyone for their engagement and collaboration, and I look forward to seeing families enjoying the park.”
The city noted the Parks & Recreation Department collaborated closely with the Highland Park community over a two-year period to determine the improvements they would like to see in the park. The residents chose from four playground designs that incorporated their input and decided they wanted to create a full-court experience by adding the second hoop, as space constraints prevent the installation of a regulation-sized court.
In October, City Council approved a $117,450 contract with All Recreation for the purchase of playground equipment and the refurbishment of the basketball court.
Highland Park Community Park is one of 12 public parks in the City of Williamsburg.
