Barberton's plans for Lake Anna revitalization boosted by $1 million in federal funding
Plans to revitalize Lake Anna Park in Barberton were boosted this week with an award of $1 million in federal funds for the effort.
The Community Project Funding money, announced Monday by U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, is part of $14.9 million dedicated to projects throughout the 13th Congressional District.
Barberton Mayor William Judge said in a phone interview Tuesday that the city will be able to move forward once the funds become available and council approves their use.
" We’ve got a plan … ," the mayor said. "This million helps create that scope of the plan."
The city surveyed residents in late 2021 about what improvements they'd like to see. Last year, council gave its approval to a Lake Anna study conducted by Kent State University about potential improvements.
Upgrading gazebo, replacing broken sound system
Judge said the survey results showed that Lake Anna Park has drawing power beyond the city limits.
"A lot of people who come to Lake Anna ... don’t even live in the city," he said. "It’s easy to navigate, it's peaceful, it's natural, it's safe."
The funds could enable improvements to the gazebo, built in the early 1990s, said Judge. Also a target is the sound system, which has degraded over the years.
"You (could) sit on opposite side of the lake and still hear the bands," he said. "We used to have speakers in the trees. Nobody accounted for those darn squirrels."
The funds could also be used to improve electric infrastructure at the park, he said.
"We could easily put $3 million into Lake Anna," the mayor said. "We want to bring it up to what it really needs to be."
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: $1 million a shot in arm for Barberton's Lake Anna plans
