Manito renovation work to begin after Labor Day

Lower Manito Park in the vicinity of the park's wellknown duck pond will be closed to the public for nearly two months immediately after the Labor Day weekend to allow for a major reconstruction of that part of the park.

The $635,800 project has been awarded to Bacon Concrete Inc., of Colbert,

Jim Gibson, manager of bond-issue projects for the city parks department, says the Manito project includes a new 34-space parking lot to be built just south of the park's entrance from Grand Boulevard. Additionally, a traffic circle, and smaller, 14-space parking lot will be constructed just east of the duck pond.

Motor vehicles no longer will be able to go farther west beyond the traffic circle and cars won't be able to enter the park from the west at either 18th or Division. That portion of the vacated street between Division and the traffic circle will be reconstructed as a bicycle path, he says. A new road also will be constructed south from the traffic circle, replacing two existing roads that now proceed south from that area of the park.

The contract also calls for construction of two new restrooms that will be available for public use yearround, as well as rehabilitation of two existing restrooms, and construction of a number of bicycle paths and sidewalks in the park, he says. A variety of other improvements will be made to provide better park access to handicapped persons and to create more green space, Gibson says.