Nearly $2 Million in Park Improvements on Beloit City Council Agenda

The council will vote on a resolution to hire Greener Valley Landscaping Inc. of Janesville to do the preparation work for the new playground equipment at Turtle Island Playground in Riverside Park.

The $219,000 contract calls for Greener Valley to tear out and reconstruct the ground at the playground and install new concrete curbing and pavement and fencing.

In October 2023, the city closed Turtle Island because wooden play equipment was determined to be no longer safe for children. The park reopened this year after the wooden play structure was removed. In May, the city announced that an entirely new playground was going to be installed in 2025.

The council also will vote on a resolution approving improvements to Turtle Creek Park at 1312 E. Grand Ave.

The city has budgeted $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to demolish a bathhouse that was used when the park had a community pool, build new restrooms, install a bike maintenance station and install signage and history walls honoring the park’s historical significance.

The effort to preserve and improve Turtle Creek Park goes back more than 10 years. The bathhouse was built in 1938 for the pool and was designated as a landmark in 1998 because the park was a gathering place for African-Americans during the days of segregation. For decades, the city had two public swimming pools, Krueger Pool for the White residents and Turtle Creek for Black residents.

The council also will hear plans to improve Regina Dunkin Park, 1218 Henry Ave., and Vernon Park, 934 Vernon Ave.

The city has budgeted $700,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to be split evenly between the parks. The plans call for replacing the existing restrooms, adding seating and pavilions to provide shade.

The Dunkin and Vernon plans have to go to the plan commission and come back to council for approval.

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