FOLEY – Children in Foley will have a new place for recreation when the city renamed Kids Park reopens Saturday following a $1.2-million in construction.
The dedication ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the park located on West Verbena Avenue near the Max Griffin Pool.
The old park closed in February so that workers could demolish most of the original structure. The wooden park was built in 2001 and was expected to last about 15 years in the Gulf Coast climate.
David Thompson, executive director of leisure services, said work on the new park will be complete in time for the opening
“The Kids Park is coming along and we should be doing the opening on Saturday,” Thompson said.
He said that while the old park was replaced, parts of the facility have been put to other uses. The sign from the original park will be restored and put in place at the new facility.
The new park will also have a new name. The Foley City Council voted May 1 to name the park for Sara Thompson, a second-grade teacher who worked to get the original park built.
Sara Thompson taught at Foley Elementary School for 20 years before retiring. She died in 2022.
City officials also plan additional work at the site.
The City Council voted May 15 to build a new fence around the Kids Park.
The city also plans to rebuild the pavilion that was torn down during construction of the new park.
While the new park cost about $1.2 million, the city received about $500,000 in grants to pay for some of the expenses.