Gadsden mayor outlines park repairs, pavilion rebuild and a community cookout

Mayor Craig Ford of Gadsden City described repairs and planned community events at multiple city parks, including Cherry Street Park and Dwight Park, and said the city will host a neighborhood cookout with activities and inflatables.

Ford said crews fixed the fence and bridge at Cherry Street Park, repaired some playground equipment and plan to replace an unsafe pavilion. At Dwight Park, he said staff painted graffiti on the tornado shelter, trimmed trees, fixed sidewalks and removed a rotted concession stand that was a liability. “We tore down the concession stand that was rotted and fallen down. It was a liability hazard. We're cleaning up the field,” Ford said.

The mayor announced a community event day — a Saturday cookout with hot dogs, bouncy houses and other activities — with multiple logistical sites being considered to accommodate public works access and crowd flow. Ford named East Gadsden Community Center, West Megan Sports Complex and the parking lot across from the amphitheater as the three locations that logistically work for the city.

Ford framed the park work as part of broader efforts to make parks “a great community park, for the people to enjoy” and said the city is investing time and “TLC” to make fields and amenities safer and more usable. He did not provide firm dates for the pavilion rebuild or the cookout, nor detailed project budgets or contractor names.