City closer to funding Central Park

The Wyoming Business Council has recommended a community development grant of $484,000 for the City of Sundance to assist with plans to develop a new park on the site next to Old Stoney.

Mayor Paul Brooks appeared in front of the business council on May 16 to support the request, which will see the lot transformed into a park that includes a stage area, water feature, play areas for kids and a historic walking path. Though the WBC’s staff did not originally recommend the project to the board, the council ultimately chose to recommend full funding for the request.

The recommendation is not the end of the road for the grant application, however. It will now move forward to the State Loan and Investment Board for a final decision on June 20.

A second grant, this one from the Land and Water Conservation Fund administered by Wyoming State Parks, was approved on the same day. This grant is for a similar amount and represents the second of three chunks of money needed to complete the project, with the city expecting to provide the remaining third of the total cost.

Again, the second grant is contingent on approval from SLIB.

“Until the ink dries, we don’t have it for sure,” says Brooks. However, he adds, it is unusual for SLIB to go against the decisions of these boards, so he is confident the city will get the nod on both grants.

If the city receives the full funding it hopes for, work is expected to begin next year to create the park. The park area will not be ignored this summer, however, as the city hopes it will be a grass-covered area available for activities such as farmers’ markets.