Recent Parks Improvements

2022 PROJECTS

• Repaved two sections of the Countryside Park Trail
• Repaved a quarter of a mile of Roanoke River Greenway near Bennington
• Removed 75,000 pounds of invasive shrubs and trees from Roanoke River Greenway near Bennington
• Removed invasive species from the Norwich Connector to Roanoke River Greenway
• Completed Corridor 6 of the Mill Mountain Trails Plan
• Resurfaced and lined Washington Park Basketball Courts
• Repurposed tennis courts at Preston Park into Futsal Court
• Planted over 50 trees
• Planted 3,300 tulip bulbs Downtown
• Performed 120 playground inspections
• Repaired/replaced seven pieces of playground equipment
• Installed two new benches and trashcans on Lick Run Greenway
• Installed new trashcans at Fern Park, Tinker Creek Greenway, and at the pumptrack at Wasena Park
• Installed four new benches on Garden City Greenway as part of the deferred-maintenance program
• Completed maintenance on Morning Dove Trail at Morningside Park
• Hung 227 hanging baskets in Downtown and Grandin Village
• Planted over 28 trees in parks
• Planted over 3,000 annual flowers and spread over 7,000 yards of mulch
• Playgrounds replaced at six parks: Garden City, Raleigh Court, River’s Edge South, Staunton, Washington Upper, and West End
• New playground base installed at Countryside Park
• Installed two new technical trail features on Enchanted Forest trail at Carvins Cove
• Installed new futsal court at Preston Park
• Athletic courts replaced or resurfaced at three parks: Melrose, Fallon, and Thrasher
• Parking lots paved and lined at Wasena Park and East Gate Park
• Repaving completed on sections of Tinker Creek Greenway and Lick Run Greenway
• Maintained over 3,700 annual flowers and over 200 hanging baskets in parks and downtown Roanoke
• Planted 29 trees in city parks
• Completed armoring maintenance on Songbird and Enchanted Forest trails at Carvins Cove
• Completed hard court repair at the following parks: Melrose Park, Fallon Park, Thrasher Park, Raleigh Court Park, Eureka Park
• Completed tread repair and a reroute on Arrowhead trail at Carvins Cove
• Replaced playground slides at Horton Park and Mill Mountain Park
• Volunteers constructed a new nursing station at Wasena Park
• Two new TRACK Trails were designated by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation: Lick Run Greenway and Garden City Trail to the Blue Ridge Parkway Trail
• Seven new interpretive signs were installed along Roanoke River and Lick Run Greenways with staff and Kiwanis volunteers
• Construction underway for a new trail at Morningside Park: Blackbird
• Replaced seven trash cans along Mill Mountain Greenway in Mill Mountain Park
• Planted twenty trees in parks

2021 PROJECTS

• A greenway centerline was added to Roanoke River Greenway from Vic Thomas Park to Piedmont Park
• Several basketball courts around the city were repaired
• Reroutes completed on Jacob’s Drop and Kerncliff trails at Carvins Cove
• Piedmont Park, Fishburn Park, Shrine Hill Park, and Grandin Court Recreation Center parking lots were paved
• An Eagle Scout has installed new bike fix stations at the Tinker Creek Greenway Dale Avenue North and South trailheads
• Two new trashcans were installed on Garden City Greenway
• Three new trashcans were installed on Tinker Creek Greenway
• An Eagle Scout has installed a new technical feature on Enchanted Forest at Carvins Cove
• Parks Maintenance staff resurfaced numerous benches in several parks throughout the system
• 236 total trees have been planted by the Urban Forestry section throughout the parks system
• Feature maintenance is complete on OG at Carvins Cove
• Tree stewards planted 70 tress along Garden City Greenway as part of reforestation project
• An Eagle Scout has installed a new blueway kiosk and boat rack at 13th Street/Bennington access point
• Landscape Management planted over 3,000 annual flowers and in maintaining 277 hanging baskets throughout the City
• Mill Mountain Trails Plan Amendment completed and adopted
• An Eagle Scout installed new bike fix stations at Vic Thomas Park and Bridge Street Trailhead along Roanoke River Greenway
• Fallon Park Basketball Court resurfacing and improvements complete
• 51 total trees planted by the Urban Forestry section
• Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden improvements complete
• Kennedy Park hard court fence repaired and gates re-installed
• New water fountain installed at 10th Street Trailhead for Lick Run Greenway
• Timber guardrail repaired along Roanoke River Greenway in Wasena
• Installed new Blueway maps at the following Roanoke River access points: Wasena Park, the Launch at Reserve, and Bennington
• Completed the Barnhardt Creek Bridge and the Liz Belcher Plaza on Roanoke River Greenway
• Completed tread repair on Buck, Hi Dee Hoe, Hemlock Tunnel, and Lakeside trails at Carvins Cove
• Build new trail, Corridor 15, from the Mill Mountain Trails Plan
• Build a new trail, Bluebird, at Morningside Park
• Installed a Storywalk at Belmont Park
• Replaced slides on the playground at Preston Park
• Added new wayfinding signs on Read Mountain Greenway and sections of Roanoke River Greenway

2020 PROJECTS

• Several new recycling cans installed in Wasena, Smith, and River’s Edge parks
• An Eagle Scout has installed a new changing room at Carvins Cove Bennett Spring Parking Lot
• A new blueway kiosk and canoe rack has been installed at Wasena Park
• A new trails is complete and open at Carvins Cove: “Midway Cruise” or trail 40b in the trails plan
• An Eagle Scout has installed in a new greenway kiosk at the Roanoke River Greenway Bridge Street Trailhead
• Construction of a changing room at the Bennett Springs Trailhead
• Installed and dedicated the Blue Star Memorial Monument at Mill Mountain Park
• Added 10 trashcans to greenway mutt mitt stations
• Repaired benches on Star Trail
• Tread, ditch, and culvert maintenance work on Brushy Mountain trail at Carvins Cove
• Rerouted Little Bell trail at Carvins Cove
• Planted 35 trees in parks
• An Eagle Scout completed a new greenway kiosk on Lick Run Greenway in Washington Park
• Crews rerouted the Upper Comet Trail at Carvins Cove
• Planted 69 trees throughout the parks system
• Repainted and replanked benches in Lee Plaza and Elmwood Park
• Trimmed and pruned trees along all greenways
• An Eagle Scout completed a new greenway kiosk on Roanoke River Greenway near Blue Ridge Drive
• Landscape Management planted over 2,500 annual flowers and is maintaining 277 hanging baskets throughout Downtown and the City in collaboration with DRI
• Added new wayfinding signage to Mill Mountain Greenway, Roanoke River Greenway, and Lick Run Greenway.
• An Eagle Scout installed a new bike fix station at Fern Park and Mill Mountain Park
• Completed the renovation of River’s Edge North Park
• Planted six trees in parks
• Restriped a court at Fishburn Park to accommodate Pickleball
• New mutt mitt stations added at Municipal Building and Fishburn Mansion
• An Eagle Scout has installed a greenway kiosk at the top of the Monument Trail on Mill Mountain
• Reroute complete on a portion of Buck Trail at Carvins Cove
• Read Mountain Greenway is open to the public
• An Eagle Scout has installed a greenway kiosk at the Tinker Creek Greenway (Dale Avenue North Trailhead)
• Planted 10 trees in parks

2019 PROJECTS

• River’s Edge Sports Complex North under design for renovation
• Engineering and design underway for Tinker Creek Greenway from Wise Ave Trailhead/Fallon Park to Mason Mill Park
  • 30% design plans submitted Fall 2018
• Carvins Cove:
  • Trail 40 B from the Carvins Cove Trail Management Plan is under construction
  • Rock N Roll trail construction continues
  • Third Deck construction continues
• Roanoke Parks and Recreation 2018-2023 five-year Master Plan
• New wayfinding signage along Lick Run Greenway
• Eagle Scout Project: Changing Room at Carvins Cove Timberview Parking Lot
• Eagle Scout Project: Bike Fixstations at Lick Run Greenway at Washington Park and Mill Mountain Park at Riverland Road Trailhead
• Eagle Scout Project: Changing Room at Carvins Cove Bennett Springs Parking Lot
• Eagle Scout Project: Shrine Hill Park/Murray Run Greenway kiosk
• New benches along Roanoke River Greenway in River’s Edge Park South and Wasena Park
• Mill Mountain Trails Plan Update 
• New greenway maps and kiosks

Completed:

• Morningside Park :
  • Beginner Trail Complete
• New wayfinding along Garden City Greenway