Florence City highlights municipal parks; Levy Park set for redesign after notice of intent for federal grant

Florence City’s recreation bulletin on Oct. 12 highlighted seven municipal parks, their locations and amenities, and said the city received a notice of intent to be awarded a National Park Service Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant to redesign Levy Park.

The bulletin, presented as the city’s “Florence in Focus” segment, listed park acreage, addresses and facilities: Tim Rod Park at 400 Tim Rod Park Drive (about 18 acres with tennis courts and a renovated playground), South Park at 1450 DeRaley Circle (about 3.5 acres with a picnic area, playground, walking path, softball field and basketball courts), McLeod Park at 620 Santiago Drive (about 48.5 acres with nature trails and five lighted baseball fields), Northwest Park at 801 Clement Street (about 8.42 acres with a community center, lighted baseball/softball field, basketball courts, playground and large shelter), Lamy Park at 356 Jeffords Street (about 13.6 acres with a community center, youth activity center, lighted sports fields, multiple basketball goals and tennis courts), Levy Park (details discussed in the segment as the subject of the intended federal grant award) and Dr. Iola Jones Park at 800 Oakland Avenue (about 7.5 acres with basketball courts, a community center, a playground and a quarter-mile walking track).

The presenter said a “notice of intent to be awarded” the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant is part of a multi-party effort that the bulletin named as including a local foundation (transcript wording inconsistent), McLeod Health and Lawrence County. The segment did not give a grant amount or a timetable for construction or design work. The city’s audio encouraged listeners to check the Florence municipal website and the Flowtown Rec Facebook account for updates.

The bulletin was promotional in format and did not record public comment, formal council action or a vote. It provided addresses and amenity summaries but did not specify contract details, funding amounts, or exact roles for partner organizations in the Levy Park project.

Details listed in the bulletin reflect the audio transcript. Some names and phrases in the transcript were unclear or inconsistent (see clarifying details). Where the transcript identified organizations clearly—McLeod Health and Lawrence County—the article lists those organizations as named partners; where the transcript used inconsistent or unclear names for a local foundation, the article notes that ambiguity rather than asserting a corrected name.

The city asked listeners to use a chatbot and follow its Flowtown Rec social account for further information and event listings.

For more details including addresses and facility lists, the city recommended visiting Florence City’s parks and recreation webpage and the Flowtown Rec Facebook feed.