MONTGOMERY – Gov. Kay Ivey has announced a $434,300 grant to the city of Brookwood for improvements to its primary outdoor recreation area.
The renovations to Brookwood Sports Complex will include connecting neighborhood sidewalks with the sidewalks at the sports complex, paving the two parking lots, adding lighting to both parking lots, and repaving the existing walking trail.
The grant award was made through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The entire cost of the project is $868,600, and the city will provide the matching funds.
“These improvements will make the Brookwood Sports Complex more inviting and accessible, encouraging people to exercise and enjoy the outdoors,” Gov. Ivey said. “I am pleased that this grant will be used to enhance the lives of Brookwood residents by providing a wonderful place for families to gather.”
In addition to the walking trails, Brookwood Sports Complex has a playground and facilities for baseball, softball, football, soccer, tennis and volleyball. The complex was first created in 1981, and since then city leaders say that the encroachment of tree roots has damaged the walking trail, causing an injury hazard. The two parking lots are currently gravel, so paving them will make the complex more accessible to people with disabilities and the elderly.
The LWCF program was created by Congress in 1964 to assist states with the development and preservation of outdoor recreation facilities. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the program in Alabama.
“Physical activity is so important to the health of individuals, and a robust recreational area is also good for the well-being of a community,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to join Gov. Ivey in support of this effort. I commend the city leaders who are dedicated to completing this project and to the many residents who have voiced their support for it.”
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
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