The Havana Park District is excited to be wrapping up the last of the projects for the 2023 Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) OSLAD Grant. This has been a five year long project for the Park District. First, a 10 year Master Plan had to be developed. This 100+ page document was prepared during the Covid Pandemic and took six months to put together. The completion of this Master Plan is worth 50% of the weight of qualifying documents in order to receive the OSLAD grant.

Next, the OSLAD Grant needed to be written up, including exactly how the Park District planned to spend the money. Generally, Park Districts hire an engineering consultant firm to do that work and it costs about $40,000. Since our Park District had recently experienced the loss of 1/3 of our budget due to the Coal Power Plant closing and stopping paying real estate taxes, we could not afford that expense. Our Director was still new to the position at that time and decided to write the grant on her own. How excited we all were, when we found out that we were awarded this awesome grant for $544,122 worth of projects for Havana!!

There were a few hiccups getting the grant started, such as the Cultural Environmental Review Process disallowing our planned Tipi Rentals, the River Rescue officer asking we not do Kayak Rentals and TREK telling us we were too small of an operation to take on e-Bike Rentals. Our grant also got ‘lost’ for 7 months when our Grant Administrator took ill, which was overcome when we asked our State Representative, Norine Hammond to help. (Thanks again Norine!)

But by January of 2024 we were able to begin our OSLAD projects, all in Riverfront Park. First came the renovation of the ‘Witches Hat’ near the stage into a Concession Stand for during concerts. This building had been built in the 1990’s but was never used. It needed power, inside build out, a serving window and new outside lighting. The building now hosts a double pizza oven, a popcorn maker, a microwave, a small refrigerator, and a handwashing station, as well as a large community charcoal grill beside it.

Next came the development of an Outdoor Fitness Area between Main St. & Market St.. This area is free to use for all our residents and visitors. Our metal outdoor fitness equipment is expertly crafted and powder-coated to withstand outdoor elements and heavy use. The equipment works by resistance and gives a great workout to all who use it, no matter their strength level. Each piece of equipment has a white sticker on it, with instructions on how to use the piece. The Park District also plans on holding Training Sessions for those that want help getting started with the Outdoor Fitness Equipment. Also with this project, came a double family swing, between the fitness equipment and the playground near it.

PJ Long, the area’s long time expert concrete finisher, then made a beautiful Community Firepit Area near the Nature Center building with colored and stamped custom concrete. This area can be rented in advance or if no reservation form is posted, anyone is free to use the firepit. Folks can bring their own firewood or there is a large log holder near the firepit, where we keep donated firewood for the community to use. The Park District also looks forward to using this area for Community Drum Circles and other fun events in the future.

The largest project of this OSLAD grant is a top on the stage overlooking Riverfront Park. While the stage has been there since the 90’s it hadn’t gotten much use because there was no top on it to preserve a band’s equipment if there was a short river rain shower, which happens often on the water. The DNR allowed us to take the money earmarked for the teepees and add it to our Stage Project. They also allowed us to take the money for the kayak/e-bike rentals and use it for an architect/engineer to help us with the stage and make sure it lasts for the long-run. These reallocations of funds allowed the Park District to build a much nicer top for the stage, one that can be seen and appreciated from many different places in downtown Havana.

Another grant, the Energy Transition Community Grant Program (Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity), helps Communities that recently lost a power plant. This grant is paying for two staff members for the Park District for three years, and this year, will pay for Lighting & Sound for the new Stage, as well as temporary fencing and a shed for behind the stage, to hold it all. The Park District has taken over the Riverfront Concert Series for 2025 and the plan is, to host more bands, including local bands, at the stage in the future. Most events at the Stage will take place during the 6-8pm time period as to augment other local establishments who also offer music later in the evenings.

As finishing touches, several areas received or will receive new seating, new lighting will be added, landscaping, and a water fountain with a dog dish was installed in the middle of Riverfront Park.

Over the past 5 years, the Park District Director also sought and received $70,000 from DCEO to renovate the Pool and Locker room, $100,000 off the beautiful new Playground at the Chester Center, $3,000 in Seed Grants from the Pollinator Partnership, and $382,786 total from DCEO Energy Transition Grants, which, with the OSLAD Grant, bring it to a grand total of $1,099,985 worth of new project money to Havana!

The Havana Park District is extremely grateful to the DNR and the DCEO to have received these grants to help add more recreational opportunities for the beautiful Havana Community. We also sincerely appreciate our State Rep. Norine Hammond for always being available to help our Community in any way she can.

Here’s to a wonderful 2025 for all of us!!