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City updates waterfront bid, pauses Potomac courts and highlights $150,000 conservation match opportunity
Summary
The city reported Waterfront Park is out for bid with award expected after Oct. 1, paused plans for new Potomac courts in favor of improving existing courts, and staff outlined a conservation land trust match: an anonymous donor pledged $50,000 plus another $50,000 if the community raises $25,000 and the commission contributes $25,000 by Nov. 30.
City Manager Jeremiah Lisonbee updated the council on multiple downtown projects and a conservation fundraising opportunity. He said the Waterfront Park project is out for bid, with results due Oct. 1 and construction expected to begin around Thanksgiving to finish before next year’s Shrimp Festival.
On recreational facilities, Lisonbee said the Potomac courts proposal is on hold after public feedback about loss of green space; instead, the city will improve existing courts at Central Park by removing sand, replacing timbers and adding courts. "We hit the pause on it, we're going to make some improvements to these few courts that are there, and we'll revisit that another time," Lisonbee said.
Lisonbee described several downtown development items: a restoration project near Center Street where a contractor began exterior work but sold the property and left interior work incomplete; a planned wedding/fellowship pavilion being built by Pointer Construction; and a proposed pocket park next to Million Coffee on property owned by Fuller Sears with construction expected to start in early 2025.
On housing, he described a Live Local affordable housing project intended to provide workforce housing for hospitality workers, with the Omni partnering on the effort. Specific funding details for the project were not provided in the meeting transcript.
The meeting also included a briefing on the city’s conservation land trust fund. An anonymous donor pledged $50,000 and offered an additional $50,000 if the community raises $25,000 and the city commission approves a $25,000 contribution; the donor set a November 30 deadline. The council discussed how to help raise funds and track donations.
No formal city commission actions were recorded in the youth advisory council meeting; the updates were informational and for council awareness and outreach planning.
