gchildress@heraldsun.com; 918-1046
CHAPEL HILL -- The Town of Hillsborough has been awarded a $392,000 grant to purchase about 19 acres on Faribault Lane needed to complete Phase 2 of the Riverwalk designed to connect Gold Park to the downtown.
The matching grant was a gift from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), an organization that provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants to local governments for parks and recreation projects to serve the public. The organization made the award to the town on Aug. 21.
Town officials said the completion of the Riverwalk trail will likely take three years. After the land is purchased, the project will move to the design phase, which will take about a year, before construction starts a year later.
"That's our best effort, and sort of our hopeful estimate," said Stephanie Trueblood, a town planner for Hillsborough.
Design work on the project is expected to begin this year. The town will apply for a second grant to pay for construction of the trail.
When completed, Trueblood said the 1.5-mile trail along the Eno River will have enormous health, social and environmental and social benefits for the residents of Hillsborough.
Trueblood said the trail will allow residents to park their cars and walk and bike from one side of Hillsborough to the other. She said the trail also will allow citizens to enjoy one of the region's most beautiful areas.
"It opens up community access to the Eno River corridor, which is one of our greatest natural treasures," Trueblood said
Bryant Kelly Warren Jr., chairman of the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Board and Planning Board, said town residents are anxious to see the project completed.
"We're working on a Connectivity Plan through town where people can travel around without getting into their cars," Warren said. "The Riverwalk plan is an important part of that."
Warren said the large number of citizens who have used Gold Park, the first phase of the Riverwalk project, which opened in April, is a good indication that residents are eager to see the project completed.
When the Riverwalk is finished, it will connect Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area to downtown and become part of North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail linking the western part of the state to the coastal area.
The Trust Fund grant, which was awarded by the N.C. Parks and Recreation Authority, was one of 21 handed down from an available $8.4 million to local governments for parks and recreation projects. Eighty-five applications were considered.
Orange County also received $500,000 for continued development of Fairview Park in Hillsborough. The park, a joint venture between the county and town, will feature active and low-impact recreational facilities, including basketball courts, baseball field, volleyball court, horseshoes, picnic shelter, walking track, playground and hiking trails.
Phase I construction of Fairview Park will cost an estimated $1.2 million. The PARTF grant will be matched with county bond funds budgeted specifically for Fairview Park development.
