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City announces multi‑year CDBG funding for Martin Luther King Park; phases will include playground, trail and Z. Murray work
Summary
City staff announced the first of a three‑year Community Development Block Grant allocation that will fund phased improvements to Martin Luther King Park and, in later years, Z. Murray Park.
City staff told the Hammond City Council the city will receive a three‑year allocation through the Community Development Block Grant program, starting with a second‑round award of $230,833. Staff said the multi‑year program will deliver roughly $230,833 per year over three years — about $690,000 total — and that the funding has been phased so that most work in years one and two focuses on Martin Luther King Park and the final year on Z. Murray Park.
Staff described a plan for Martin Luther King Park that includes a new playground relocated away from the woods, a walking trail that would connect new facilities, benches, picnic amenities and phase‑staged work. Z. Murray Park improvements discussed include some pool‑area enhancements, picnic tables and an expanded dog park area; staff said some improvements could be scheduled as later phases once initial work in Martin Luther King Park is underway.
City staff said the project will move to public notice and hearings: the city anticipated posting public‑comment opportunities imminently and possibly holding a public hearing as soon as the end of the week and another in about two weeks. Staff asked the public and councilmembers to watch for notices in the paper and on city postings.
Staff also noted related park projects in the city: construction on a separate splash pad for Mooney Avenue Park is scheduled to begin in mid‑September and city staff said some retrofitting options may be available for older splash‑pad equipment.
Council members asked for specifics on the split between parks and staff presented a phased schedule and approximate dollar totals: roughly $466,000 for Martin Luther King Park across the first two years (combining current year and previous allocations) and approximately $230,000 anticipated for Z. Murray Park in the third year. Staff emphasized that the multi‑year CDBG approach allowed more total improvement funding than an earlier single‑year application.
