The Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission is looking into the possibility of purchasing Green Berry Acres, a site previously used by the Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland.
At the commission meeting Tuesday, several residents of Green Berry Road told commissioners and staff the property had been put up for sale and they would like to see the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department purchase the land to turn into a neighborhood park.
Green Berry Acres, a Girl Scout property on Green Berry Road, includes a log cabin, a picnic shelter, outdoor grills and a fire circle on roughly four acres. The property has been used for hiking, nature activities and service projects.
Debbie Cheshire, a resident of Green Meadow Drive, said she noticed the for sale sign on the property and quickly tried to round up neighbors to bring to the commission in support of the idea. She said Larry Kolb is selling the property for $86,000 and urged the commission to move quickly.
Bill Lockwood, department director, said he put in a call to the listed agent Tuesday and was waiting on a response. He said the parks staff has looked at the location in the past as a neighborhood park given its long history as a park-like setting.
The commission voted to authorize staff to respond quickly to the opportunity and return with details as soon as possible. Lockwood noted the department has funds set aside to acquire land for neighborhood parks.
In other business, the commission continued discussions on the multipurpose building, which is a partnership between the department and Lincoln University. Lockwood said a design development report is expected to be finished in about 45 days. The report will lay out recommendations from all engineering and architectural firms involved in the project for how the building will be built and operated.
Lockwood said the commission and Lincoln University are continuing to discuss how the facility will operate and are getting closer to a memorandum of understanding laying out how the two entities split both costs and revenues.
Last year, the commission authorized department staff to pursue a potential collaboration with Lincoln University on the proposed multipurpose building, where it would operate as both a multipurpose facility and a student recreational facility on Lafayette Street.
Between Lincoln University and the parks commission, $10.1 million is available for the collaborative project. The total project, with four courts and an elevated walking track, is projected to cost between $11.5 and $13.8 million, leaving a funding gap of $706,000 to $2.98 million, which led the City Council to approve a $1.5 million line of credit in December.
Lincoln University is hoping to complete the project by the fall 2016 semester because current students are being charged a fee to construct the facility.