DANVILLE — The Village of Danville will receive $125,000 from the state’s One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund (OTSCIF).
The award means the village can buy and install new playground equipment in Memorial Park.
“The swing set structure we now have is so dilapidated we’ve taken parts away to make sure it’s safe,” Mayor Joe Mazzari explained.
“We planned to take it all out and put in new equipment. It’s part of a strategic plan to upgrade the facility that we have.”
The estimated project cost is close to $125,000. The full funding covers the purchase, installation, and mulch bedding.
Mazzari was excited to learn of the award, as the state had not notified him of the funding.
“We have been working so hard to create a nice place for our public park. We are really excited about this new playground because what we had just wasn’t sufficient,” he said.
The goal is to make Memorial Park a venue that can entertain the whole family.
“The play area includes a treasure hunt. We purchased grills a couple of years ago, and we’ve added some cement picnic tables,” Mazzari said.
The village resurfaced the basketball court five or six years ago and is considering expanding the electric supply in the park to enable food vendors to operate.
The village used a previous grant to install a water fountain that includes a bottom fountain for pets.
A long-term strategy for Memorial Park
The ideas stem from the strategic plan Main-Market and Beyond created.
“The park was their focus,” Mazzari said. “We have Chicken Days and want other events, maybe movie nights, music.
“The Main-Market and Beyond business association has been outstanding to work with,” he added. “They have spearheaded all of the improvements you will see in the village and are working hard to bring ideas to the table to continue to bring people to Danville, the front porch to Amish Country.”
About the OTSCIF
House Bill 33, the state operating budget the General Assembly passed in June 2023, created the $700 million OTSCIF initiative. The Ohio House and Senate each appropriated $350 million for projects.
The House passed its appropriations in February and included $90,000 for Danville. The Senate passed its appropriations in June and earmarked another $35,000.
The strategic investment money supports projects that might not qualify for the state capital budget.
In addition to Danville, two other Knox County municipalities received OTSCIF money. Mount Vernon received $2 million for a new police station, and Fredericktown received $750,000 for water infrastructure improvements.
