Newberry considers turning Lewis Fort Park into a premier passive green space, preserving historic light plant

City of Newberry staff presented options Sept. 2 to expand and reimagine Lewis Fort Park as the city's premier passive green space and to preserve the adjacent historic light plant building. Parks and recreation director Rod Clark described enhancements that could include an amphitheater, wider walkways, food-truck accommodations and curated green space for passive recreation.

Staff noted that the city recently obtained a Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) designation and has used grant funding to support building revitalization. The commission discussed using CRA resources and applying for additional grants; staff referred to a $500,000 grant previously obtained to aid revitalization efforts at the light plant. A commissioner noted the board has long sought a visible, "wow" project tied to the CRA and said the light plant provides that opportunity.

Clark emphasized the walkable proximity of Lewis Fort Park to downtown neighborhoods and said a passive, enhanced design could better serve residents who cannot easily reach Easton. Commissioners discussed programming options (outdoor music, farmer's markets, amphitheaters), adaptive reuse of the light plant building for food or rented community space, and traffic interfaces as the city completes two-way street conversions through downtown. Staff recommended further design work and renderings to define costs and possible phased implementation. No formal vote was taken at the workshop.