Charles Simmonds Park Renewal
Project overview
Charles Simmonds Park lies at the west edge of McKernan, at 115 St. and 79 Ave. It has not been upgraded in many years and needs attention to make it more usable for residents in both the McKernan and Belgravia communities.
If you are interested in helping out or contributing, contact the Charles Simmonds Park Renewal Committee at charlessimmondspark@gmail.com
Location and vision
Because the park is located in the McKernan Hip (the section adjacent to Belgravia), the project will primarily be under the auspices of the McKernan Community League. However, the Belgravia Community League will also be an important part of the process. A committee with members from both the McKernan and Belgravia communities, is looking at what the park would need to make it more welcoming to everyone who uses the park, including families, seniors, students and all other potential park users.
Process
The Neighbourhood Park Development Program has five phases of work: strategy, concept, design, build and operate. Community groups work with a team of City staff through all phases of the project. NPDP projects are funded through a combination of City NPDP matching grants and community dollars. The committee Neighbourhood Park Development Process is shown below.
Strategy phase
The Strategy Phase has been completed and the project is moving into the Concept Phase. The first significant community consultation was the Needs Assessment Survey that was completed in the 2021/22 fall and winter. The graphic below shows the desirable features that were identified in the survey. The most significant finding was that the community would like to maintain open space in the park. A summary of the results is available here.
Where we are: Concept phase
The deliverable from the Concept Phase will be the concept plan, which should be ready for community feedback in late summer / early fall of 2022. The concept plan will show the proposed layout of the park which will then be used in the Design Phase. With the layout, a high level estimate of the project cost can be determined and selection of park furniture and equipment can be done. The committee will then focus on fundraising and grant applications, while the City staff start the detailed design.
Design, build and operate
It will take at least 2 - 3 years to complete the park upgrade. The availability of grants should be confirmed early in 2023 and the actual construction of the project should be commenced and completed in 2024.
Updated April 2022