One of the biggest projects for the City of Hattiesburg in recent years has gotten its ceremonial start, as officials recently broke ground on Midtown Green, the first public, non-school park in midtown Hattiesburg.
The groundbreaking took place on June at the site of the park on Crestmont Avenue, off of West Arlington Loop near University Baptist Church. The 4.2-acre park – plans for which began in 2019 – will feature a lighted walking trail, exercise stations, an inclusive playground, a performance stage, picnic areas and site furniture.
“While this sparks the next step in bringing the park to fruition, we know this has been a long process,” Mayor Toby Barker said. “(This has been) the dream of a lot of people.
“Upgraded roads will connect this park to (Forrest General) Hospital, (Hattiesburg) Clinic and the University (of Southern Mississippi). That connectivity, with appropriate lighting and walkability, will make this park a true amenity that all of midtown can access.”
The park, which officials expect to complete by early next year, will be just the second green space in Ward 3.
One of its biggest amenities, which will be the first of its kind throughout the city, is an inclusive-accessible playground. This feature will provide those with special needs and disabilities the opportunity to play the same as their peers while continuing the development of physical, cognitive, social and sensory skills.
The donations for that playground were made by the family of Abb Payne, which founded the Payne Companies investment firm in Hattiesburg.
“When we first heard about Midtown Green … we as a family immediately said we want to be involved in this,” Payne said. “We were off to the races at that point. We walked all through here, and we were shocked at how big it was, really.
“It’s just a super cool place, and so it came together very quickly. We as a family want to continue to advance these generational projects that people who live in Hattiesburg can enjoy for decades and decades to come. We hope this is the first of many that our family will participate in.”
The park was one of the main goals of the Midtown Merchants Association – which was founded in 2018 – along with a mural program and the beautification of the gateway entrance at 40th Avenue and Hardy Street.
“Number one on our agenda list was to build a park,” said Hattiesburg restaurateur and author Robert St. John, who was representing Midtown Merchants Association at the groundbreaking. “There were 19 parks on the other side of (U.S.) 49 and none here.
“As soon as the mayor learned that, he hopped on this thing, and I can’t say enough about Mayor Barker and his influence in making this happen where we are today.”
The project is funded by a $500,000 Land and Water Conservation Grant from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, along with the 1 percent sales tax increase.
The 1 percent sales tax increase was approved in 2019, after 81 percent of voters chose to support the measure during a special referendum. The money from that tax is being used for 18 Parks and Recreation Department projects throughout the city, including but not limited to a walking trail extension at Duncan Lake, a splash pad at Dewitt-Sullivan Park and batting cages at Vernon Dahmer Park.
“I think this is a project of the ages, that we’ve been waiting for a long time,” said Sid Gonsoulin, who serves as construction manager for the city’s Parks and Recreation facilities. “It’s going to meet the needs of a lot of folks – children, folks who have some physical and mental issues that would benefit from such a park.
“It’s a big plus for the city, and a game-changer. It’s the only one in this area, and it’s been lacking for years.”
The city will match the $500,000 grant with $500,000 in funds from the 1 percent tax to complete Midtown Green. Additional funding for the project will come from the Forrest County Board of Supervisors.
“This is just one more beautiful component to a beautiful area of town – midtown – to a beautiful city,” Forrest County District 5 Supervisor Chris Bowen said.
