Donna announces park improvements

DONNA — Tuesday marked a first for city leaders as they hosted a groundbreaking to announce improvements to the Donna Square Park in the center of the town.

Councilwoman Irene Muñoz called the project — the first major city improvement groundbreaking for current leaders in a city reeling with financial woes — a “cornerstone” for Donna.

“It’s where construction begins,” she said.

Muñoz, who delivered the invocation at the event by praying that Donna would continue to grow and thanking God for Hidalgo County grant funding, said she was looking forward to seeing the park revamped.

“We all know this is long overdue,” said Planning Director Fernando Flores. “I think it’s going to help the downtown area — it needs something like this.”

The $98,000 project will include a redesign of the city’s central gazebo that will replace the roof with one that is aluminum, extend the eaves, and add a decorative stone base, Flores said. It will replace slides, repaint and add new padded flooring to the playground area.

It also will add new walking trails around the square with five to six plaques about the history of the town. In particular, Flores said, the paths will commemorate the Chisholm Trail, which transported cattle out of Texas to the East Coast after the Civil War.

The trails will connect to existing sidewalks, which will be repaired so that the cracks cease to compromise their wheelchair accessibility, said Public Works Director Frank De Los Rios.

The city also will add water availability such as drinking fountains, which Mayor David Simmons said had been requested to better facilitate barbecues and picnics.

Donna acquired funding for the park revamp through Hidalgo County’s Urban County program, which receives money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Edinburg-based contracting firm Del Sol Homes is expected to break ground on the 130-day project this week, Flores said.

“We’re very pleased and very happy that we’re going to do some upgrades to the facility,” Simmons said. “I’ve always felt the town square is the heart of our community, and we’re going to beautify it.”

--

Elizabeth Findell covers Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at efindell@themonitor.com and (956) 683-4428.

--

TWITTER
Follow Elizabeth Findell on Twitter: @efindell