GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Tucked away in an east-side Green Bay neighborhood, V.T. Pride Park sits quietly.
“This park could use some reimagining, some updating,” says City of Green Bay Parks Director Dan Ditscheit.
City officials and the neighborhood can see the park’s potential, and now, they’re one step closer to an upgrade.
The park’s master plan — which the park’s committee is expected to approve this week — came from ideas from those in the neighborhood through community input meetings over the last year.
“Soccer was number one as far as a use they wanted in the park, but they also wanted updated playground equipment and a full-sized basketball court,” says Ditscheit.
All of that is included in the master plan, along with exercise equipment and volleyball courts. The park is also just a short walk away from the new JBS Boulevard and Destination Park.
Officials say that park is currently out to bid, and they’re hoping to begin construction this fall.
“They’re in close proximity, they’re walking distance to each other. We’ve created real pedestrian-friendly connections to both parks, and they complement each other,” says Ditscheit. “They don’t compete against each other. They’re both different parks with different uses, and I think they’ll go hand in hand.”
V.T. Pride Park’s master plan is set to go before the city parks committee on Wednesday, and after that, it will head to full city council next week for approval.
Once approved, the search for funding the park will begin. Although it could be several years before breaking ground, city officials say the upgrades are needed.
“It’s needed not just for this community but all neighborhoods within the city. As parks age, they need to be recreated, reimagined, and bring some life back to the parks. So, right now it’s V.T. Pride Park’s turn. We haven’t put a lot of infrastructure costs into this park in a while and it’s due for some improvements,” Ditscheit said.
At Monday’s community meeting, one neighbor said the biggest thing missing from the master plan is something that honors and explains the park’s name.
V.T. stands for Vernon Taylor; he helped establish the park and was active in the community. Neighbors say he was impactful to many community members and deserves to be honored further at the park.
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