$4m park lands upgrade to lure visitors

A skate area, barbecues, tennis and basketball courts and a community garden will be among the features of a $4 million upgrade to the park lands near Bowden.

The project has been approved by Adelaide City Council and will be funded by the State Government, with $150,000 from Charles Sturt Council.

Deputy Premier John Rau said the upgrade would encourage more people to use the north-western park lands near Park Terrace.

“The park lands opposite Bowden are well used for soccer but this project will add a host of new facilities and significantly improve the landscaping,” he said.

“Through support from the City of Charles Sturt, we have included a dedicated youth space and skate area, with design input from local skaters to ensure we got the design right.

“The community garden will also be designed with input from the community who will be using this space.”

Key features include:

• Car park with about 40 spaces to serve the soccer club and other park visitors
• Community gardens, which will include fresh produce and vegetable patches
• An avenue of large gums along Park Terrace
• Multipurpose youth space with skating facilities
• Tennis and basketball courts
• Paths connecting Bonython Park to North Adelaide Railway Station
• Recreation areas with barbecues, shade and seating.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese said that as more people chose medium and higher-density living in or near the city, the parklands became their backyard.

“This project will achieve that for people living across the road in the newly developed Bowden area, North Adelaide residents, as well as the broader community,” he said.

Charles Sturt Mayor Angela Keneally said the project would complement the Bowden residential development.

Renewal SA expects the first stage of landscaping at Park 27b to start this week and to be completed next year.

Author: Sheradyn Holderhead

(Article attribution to: ‘Sunday Mail Adelaide, Sourced on 16 August 2015, General News Section′)