BALTIMORE — Solo Gibbs Park, in Baltimore's Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhood, is need of a makeover, especially when it comes to the basketball court.
“I rolled by ankle on the court,” said Cristian Randolph. “It’s the surface it’s made of. It could be better.”
The nearby playground also has issues.
“It’s missing poles,” said Stephen Sorillo. “It’s rusty.”
The community has been pushing for upgrades for years.
“The park has definitely been forgotten,” said youth mentor and community leader Turell Brooks. “I grew up watching my dad and uncle play on that court. It hasn’t changed since and that was back in 1991.”
Community members told WMAR-2 News getting Recs and Parks to do the simplest of tasks, like grounds maintenance, is difficult.
“We’ve been pushing the issue and making sure that the grass is cut," Brooks said. “Right now, we just want some answers. We want something done.”
“We call 311 all the time,” said Devin Conklin. “We’re out here maintaining the park.”
The complaints and requests for upgrades come as the city is sitting on $41 million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Back in February, Mayor Brandon Scott announced the funding, breaking down the investments.
According to his office the $41 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation would allow BCRP to take a much-needed first step in addressing the systemic lack of investment in recreation.
The funding would roughly allot $10 million for public pools, $20 million for recreation centers, $5 million for playgrounds, $1 million for trails, and $2 million for athletic fields and courts.
As of April, Solo Gibbs hasn’t seen any upgrades or ARPA funds.
“They continue to tell us there’s no money for projects,” said Conklin. “When we asked about where the mayor‘s money is going they didn’t even know what parks it was going to be applied to.”
Bottom line, with funding available, Solo Gibbs Park would like to see some upgrades.
“Yeah, I’d love to see at least a couple million for this area because we’re in a great community,” said Conklin.
“I want something to be proud of,” said Stephen Sorillo. “I want my community to have fun.”
A neighborhood and park cleanup is planned for Saturday, April 30 at 9 a.m.
Those interested in volunteering are asked to meet at the Solo Gibbs Rec Center located at 1044 Leadenhall Street. The event is being organized by Neighbors Meeting Neighbors, Friends of Solo Gibbs Park.
WMAR 2 News reached out to the city regarding available ARPA funds and asked for a breakdown of how the money will be spent.
In a statement a Recreation and Parks spokesperson on Thursday said:
“There are current plans for the overhaul of Solo Gibbs Park. There’s a public kick off meeting on May 2nd to discuss the design and other details with the community. Expansion of the playground and improvements to the basketball courts are apart of the plan. None of the ARPA funds are assigned to this park, however, allocations through the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership and the City's allocation of Slots Funding will support much of the project.”
