Edwardsville park to carry land donors name
Edwardsville is planning a new park, and will name it for the Robert Plummer family, it was confirmed earlier this month.
Mr. Plummer donated land to help form the park, and the decision came in a 5-1 vote by the city council, which took place after months of negotiations involving a land trade deal among the city, the Edwardsville Community Foundation, and RLP Development.
The proposed park is a sports facility that will likely include softball, soccer, and baseball fields, as well as pickleball and tennis courts. The park's location is inside I-55, north of Ridgeview Road. In order to create the 70-acre park, Edwardsville will exchange 16 acres of land along Governors' Parkway for 32 acres RLP Development owns in the I-55 corridor. Edwardsville would then purchase another approximately 32 acres, and Robert Plummer would donate another six acres.
The single ‘no’ vote came from Alderman Barb Stamer, who wanted the park named for Leon Corlew, who was a Edwardsville alderman. Corlew left the city $700,000 in 2008 to help improve the parks. Alderman Jeanette Mallon agreed that Corlew's generosity and spirit should be recognized, and said there will be something named for him at another time.
Since the negotiations have been long and complex, residents might enjoy hearing the reasoning behind the naming. City officials could create brochures detailing the process, and describing what the new park will look like. They could then mail them to residents.
Mr. Plummer donated land to help form the park, and the decision came in a 5-1 vote by the city council, which took place after months of negotiations involving a land trade deal among the city, the Edwardsville Community Foundation, and RLP Development.
The proposed park is a sports facility that will likely include softball, soccer, and baseball fields, as well as pickleball and tennis courts. The park's location is inside I-55, north of Ridgeview Road. In order to create the 70-acre park, Edwardsville will exchange 16 acres of land along Governors' Parkway for 32 acres RLP Development owns in the I-55 corridor. Edwardsville would then purchase another approximately 32 acres, and Robert Plummer would donate another six acres.
The single ‘no’ vote came from Alderman Barb Stamer, who wanted the park named for Leon Corlew, who was a Edwardsville alderman. Corlew left the city $700,000 in 2008 to help improve the parks. Alderman Jeanette Mallon agreed that Corlew's generosity and spirit should be recognized, and said there will be something named for him at another time.
Since the negotiations have been long and complex, residents might enjoy hearing the reasoning behind the naming. City officials could create brochures detailing the process, and describing what the new park will look like. They could then mail them to residents.