Trussville awarded $1M for Masonic Park playground upgrades

Birmingham-area families will soon have another reason to visit Trussville’s Masonic Park. Thanks to appropriations through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the City of Trussville was awarded a $1 million grant to help facilitate upgrades to the Masonic Park playground, a popular community hub that’s served residents since 2006. Now, the city is planning a major refresh designed to make the space more accessible to all.

What does the City of Trussville have planned for Masonic Park?

On Friday, October 2, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced grants worth a total of more than $6.1 million to improve outdoor recreational options in seven towns and cities around Alabama. The grants were awarded through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a program of the U.S. Department of Interior, created through Congress in 1965.

“Whether it’s a ball field, a playground or a nature trail, outdoor recreation greatly contributes to the health of a community. I am pleased to support these projects, which will provide residents and visitors of these communities with new opportunities for physical exercise, togetherness and appreciation of the great outdoors.”

Governor Kay Ivey

The City of Trussville was one of the seven Alabama municipalities awarded a grant, receiving $1 million to help improve the playgrounds at Masonic Park. Located at 215 Parkway Dr, the public community park was constructed in 2006 with the help of funds from an earlier LWCF grant. The roughly three-acre park consists of picnic areas, tennis courts, a pavilion, restrooms and multiple age-graded playgrounds.

Trussville Mayor Ben Short celebrated the move on social media, stating:

“We’re grateful to Governor Kay Ivey and everyone who helped make this grant possible and excited to begin moving this project forward.”

Mayor Ben Short

According to a press release from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ALDECA), the project will include several upgrades to the existing playground and surrounding park space, including:

• An exercise area designed for senior citizens
• New playground equipment
• A new picnic shelter
• Sidewalk connections to the picnic shelter
• New picnic tables
• New fencing

The City of Trussville will also commit $1 million to the project. Plans for the project are still being finalized, so additional details about the playground improvements and project timeline will be shared as the city moves forward.