Catawba Meadows Park and another portion of Âé¶¹´«Ã½â€™s Catawba River Greenway will reopen on Monday.
People can start visiting the park and greenway at noon Monday, the city of Âé¶¹´«Ã½ announced Wednesday afternoon. The greenway and park, as well as other city facilities and parks, were damaged during Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27.
The Catawba River Greenway will be reopened from the entrance at River Village Access, going toward Catawba Meadows under N.C. Highway 181 to the wooden platform overlook toward the Rocky Ford Access, the city said in a release.
The section of greenway from the other side of the River Village Access to the Silver Creek Bridge is still closed due to the renovation of the boardwalk. The city is currently in the engineering and design phase of that section and will reopen it when the boardwalk is complete, the release said.
People are also reading…
The greenway is also open from the basketball courts at Freedom Park, across the Freedom Pedestrian Bridge over the Catawba River to the Greenlee Ford greenway access and parking behind Ingles, according to information from the city of Âé¶¹´«Ã½. The trail around the soccer fields is open.
Catawba Meadows Park will be back open with a few exceptions within the park. The Beanstalk Playground, beach volleyball court, disc golf course, picnic shelters and bathrooms will all be reopened, the release said.
The softball and baseball fields will remain closed as will Beanstalk Ziplines and its parking lot, the release said.
The park’s normal operating hours are from daylight to dark. There still are areas in the park and the greenway that will be under construction in the future, the release said.
The city said the reopening comes after several months of assessments, cleanup, repair and inspections to make sure each area is safe for public use.
“After Hurricane Helene, our community was devastated with the damages done to our parks and recreation facilities,†Âé¶¹´«Ã½ Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Fish said in the release. “We faced loss, uncertainty and a long road to recovery. Today, as we reopen Catawba Meadows and another portion of the Catawba River Greenway, we’re not just restoring a green space. We’re reclaiming a place of connection, healing and hope.â€
City Manager Sally Sandy said, “I want our community to know how much work and effort have been put forth for Catawba Meadows Park as well as another portion of the greenway to reopen. This was a massive undertaking, and we still have a long way to go for the whole park to be fully functional. Please know that all of our parks and recreation facilities are just as special to us as they are to you. We will keep our community updated as we make progress towards completing other Parks and Recreation recovery projects.â€