The LeFleur East Foundation has hired an engineering company to survey Parham Bridges Park, a first step in solving drainage issues.
Madison-based Mendrop engineering resources company was scheduled to begin work at Parham Bridges this week, said Clay Hays, a Jackson cardiologist who is board chair of the foundation,.
The survey of the park is costing about $15,000 and is expected to take about two weeks, he said. Mendrop will have employees with survey equipment on site during daylight hours, he said.
“It’s not a very sexy project but it’s important,” Hays said. “The drainage issues have to be repaired properly. There has already been one pedestrian bridge along the walking trail that fell into the ditch there.”
The foundation plans to rework the ditch that runs through the park and add a storm water retention pond, which should improve drainage, Hays said. The ditch floods, which results in erosion and the overflow of water damages the tennis courts.
Improving the drainage is necessary because the foundation would like to eventually increase the number of tennis courts from 12 to 20.
“Our goal is to get back to 20 courts so there can be regional tournaments at Parham Bridges,” Hays said. “That would be good for economic development.”
Last year, two tennis courts were converted to pickleball courts so now there are 10 pickleball courts. Four tennis courts that were “basically falling apart” were resurfaced, he said.
A year ago, the foundation unveiled a master plan at its summer soiree for the park. Tree Design Co. and CCD Architects designed the master plan, which provides a guide to renovating the 30-acre city park.
To fully fund the park’s masterplan is estimated to cost $9.6 million, which includes Park Golf, a three-hole mini golf course that is estimated to cost $500,000-$700,000. Ground was broken for the mini golf course in 2023, but the project is yet to come out of the ground.
The foundation has added new fencing, seen that dead trees on the walking trail were cut, paid for security for special events and continues on its quest to improve the park, moving forward as it has funding from donations to do so.
The redesign of the entire park is the first since its creation. The late W.P. Bridges Sr. donated the tract to the city for a green space in the 1970s.
