Invitation to meeting to plan Upper Millcrest Park improvements

On Thursday August 11, a group of concerned West Norwood residents will host a community meeting in conjunction with Xavier University’s Community Building Institute, with the support of City officials. The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Norwood Community Center on the corner of Carter and Courtland Avenues. The residents hope to advance the cause of creating and implementing a master plan for Upper Millcrest Park, home to Norwood’s baseball fields but also the site of vandalism, and drug and alcohol use.

Sarah Allan, a West Norwood resident and Democratic candidate for Norwood’s city council, said of the project, “We believe that Upper Millcrest can be a positive asset for Norwood. It can help attract new families to the neighborhood and be a catalyst for community development. With the support of the City and residents, I hope we can transform the park into a beautiful and safe space.”

At Thursday’s meeting, residents of West Norwood will be asked to envision the park with the all of the features and amenities that they hope for. They will be given the chance to vote on specific elements and to prioritize specific changes. Norwood’s mayor has committed to be in attendance and has said that he hopes that the City will be able to allocate funds to the park’s improvement. He noted that citizen support for the project will increase the likelihood that the master plan will be implemented, as funds are very limited in Norwood, especially for the parks and recreation department. So the more resident support for the project on Thursday night, the better. Private and foundation funding will also be sought for the project.

For more information or to get involved with the Upper Millcrest improvements, email millcrest@gmail.com.