City to begin development of Oxford-Merchants Park

Berkley is moving ahead this summer with multiple improvements at one of its largest parks.

The project will include adding a 1,600-square-foot splash pad, walkways, play structures and restrooms at the 6.7-acre Oxford-Merchants Park.

Before putting the project up for bid, there will be a public hearing during a video conference meeting of the Berkley Planning Commission at 7 p.m. May 26.

Much of the cost of the improvements are covered by a $180,000 federal matching grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The grant means the city has to pay at least an equal amount for the park upgrade.

The LWCF invests money to conserve lands and enhance outdoor recreational areas in communities nationwide. The program is administered through the U.S. Department of Interior. The grant funds for Berkley came through the state Department of Natural Resources.

The park improvements in Berkley were ultimately approved by the National Parks Service.

“We’ve been planning the construction of this park for many years,” said Berkley’s Parks and Recreation Director Theresa McArleton in a news release. “Past year’s budgets reflect the City Council’s support for this development , which is unlike anything the city has done before.”

Because the city is using the federal grant the project has to be finished by 2021, she added.

Berkley, like many surrounding communities, has closed its park programs for the summer because of the pandemic.

“As a result of the social distancing guidelines in place, the opportunity to develop the park while it cannot be used seemed like a good path to take,” McArleton said.

“We will continue to follow all (public health) guidelines during and after the park is complete.”

The park is named after two facilities that were joined together. The city’s Merchants Park near the recreation center was combined with the adjoining three-acre Oxford Park, formerly owned by the Berkley School district.

The city bought the Oxford property from the school district in 2014.

Oxford-Merchants Park includes older play equipment and two baseball fields.

About four years ago, the recreation department hired planning consultants at Native Edge to develop a master plan for the park land.

Resident focus groups played a role in developing the final plan, McArleton said.

“Our hope is that this park will serve as a community gathering space and bright spot for the future in Berkley,” she said.

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