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City of McAlester (2019) Print
2019 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
By activating an underutilized parking lot, the City of McAlester gave residents access to green space in the heart of its historic downtown. Before opening the new park, the City prepared the site, clearing concrete, replacing soil and resolving stormwater drainage issues. Dubbed Arvest Park, amenities there include accessible sidewalks, food truck hookups, bike posts, tables with seating and a water fountain. Project organizers say the park filled a need for gathering space within a commercial area and helps support local businesses. The site often accommodates pop-up business and locals use the green space to gather for lunch and meet up for shopping or errands.
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See More Projects Like This One
Dixon, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Webster County Senior Center has delivered meals to homebound older adults for years. But the center has never fully used its large outdoor greenspace and patio. To make the space more appealing, the center created an outdoor seating area with benches, tables and games, which allow visitors to dine outdoors and make social connections. Today, residents use the space for bingo and board games between meals, and the patio hosts community events.
Dixon, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To draw visitors to a park on the grounds of Dixon's local library, the Embudo Valley Library and Community Center installed picnic tables and benches at the site. In 2019, the library distributed a survey and hosted focus groups with residents to determine the community's needs, with seating emerging as a top priority. The community center commissioned local artists and craftspeople to create the tables and benches, which are ADA-compliant. One of the tables is located in the library's fruit orchard, near a traditional irrigation ditch known as an acequia. Project organizers say they chose the location to honor the community's cultural heritage. In the future, Center staff envision putting the benches and tables to use during local events, including the annual Fiesta de Santa Rosa.
Potlatch, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: In 1906, the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway built the Potlatch Depot, which served as a warehouse to store excess freight and baggage. The Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway History Preservation Group hoped to offer visitors rides on speeders and rail cycles -- small vehicles that travel along the tracks, which railroad employees once used to inspect tracks and reach trains needing repairs. To do this, the group needed to expand into the depot's annex. They worked to renovate the building, stabilizing its foundation, replacing siding and removing interior walls and floor lumber. Project organizers hope the speeder rides will attract the public to the depot's museum and increase a sense of community pride.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
McAlester, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Local pickleball enthusiasts helped convert a tennis court at William P. Mullen Park into two pickleball courts. Pickleball, which includes elements of tennis and ping-pong, is popular with older adult players.
Eufaula, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The City of Eufaula hoped to draw people to local businesses by increasing foot traffic on Main Street. To do this, the City created a music trail downtown. They installed 11 pairs of outdoor percussion instruments -- including xylophones and drums -- along a half-mile pathway, which winds past community landmarks. Additionally, project organizers displayed a map to inform passersby of the location of each instrument. The project is part of larger efforts to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased social isolation among residents and left local businesses -- including many owned by Native community members -- struggling to stay afloat.
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