VILLAGE OF MILAN, N.M. – The Village of Milan is in the process of upgrading and refurnishing parks across the village. From baseball fields for the youth to alterations making the parks wheelchair compliant for everyone to enjoy, Milan’s parks are receiving a makeover. Parks aren’t the only major renovations happening in the village either, the village swimming pool and fire department are both undergoing renovations to bring them into twenty first century.
Soccer fields
Located on Sand Street, just down the way from Milan Elementary School the fields are receiving a $300,000 makeover. The fields have already seen some modifications, with an updated parking lot.
The coming alterations to the park will begin around the end of July or the beginning of August, according to Village of Milan’s Mayor Felix Gonzales. The alterations include bathroom facilities, a concession area for parkgoers to purchase food or drinks, and a storage facility. The Village of Milan is shooting for an early November grand opening of the improved soccer fields.
The soccer fields are open at the moment but will be closed when work begins to improve the park.
Elkins Park and Mirabal Park
Located north of the train tracks, the wide-open Elkins Park shares its beauty with the Berryhill community it rests in. Elkins Park recently saw parking lot renovations to make it more accessible to all villagers. There are currently no plans in the works for renovations to this park, but Mayor Gonzales did remark about efforts to secure additional funding for potential renovations to the park.
Eventually, when the village has the funding available, Mayor Gonzales would like to see new improvements to the park, “We’re applying for a grant to get new playground equipment. New swings, and slides.” Though these ideas are not actively in the works, Elkins Park is open to be enjoyed.
Mirabal Park recently saw development, with an updated parking lot and small basketball court available to community to use. The park is open and ready for people to walk the track and enjoy the field.
Kearns Park
Kearns Park is currently closed. The park is awaiting Junior money – extra money state legislators had available to help fund municipalities, counties and some special interests with projects – to pay for the final part of the project. The money will be used to lay sod throughout the park, which has erupted into a jungle of weeds as the closure and increased rain create an environment for them to grow. Mayor Gonzales said that this is only temporary, and the village will be cleaning the park for the sod to be laid.
Kearns Park is going to see the most significant development of the village’s largest parks. Two baseball diamonds for the youth teams to play at, one for nine to 10-year-old’s and one for 11 to 13-year-old’s will be built in the park. A football field will be constructed with the local Youth American Football League, and local flag football teams in mind. There will be bleachers for spectators to watch baseball games, but there will be no bleaches on the football side.
“People will have to remember to take their lawn chairs for the football games,” Mayor Gonzales said. “This is only phase one of the project, its slow moving but everything takes time and money. Once we can do it, we will.”
Other major projects
Milan’s parks aren’t the only priority, there are several other projects actively in the process.
The Village is preparing to repave Airport Road, the airport in
The Village of Milan Volunteer Fire Department will be getting a makeover in order to equip the firefighters with updated supplies. The village received $170,000 in capital outlay funding from the state to help fund this modernization. Mayor Gonzales said that the project will take a little longer than expected just because he will not allow the firefighters to be without a station.
The Village is looking at new pumps for their wells, and in a few years a new well will likely need to be constructed.
The Village of Milan Natatorium will also be undergoing renovations to fix the ceiling, which will be the primary upgrade for the natatorium, but Mayor Gonzales said that the boiler room would be brought up to date and the bathrooms would be renovated.
“We’ll see how far the money takes us, but it’s like every time you turn around there’s a new cost. The expenses just keep climbing and climbing but we’re going to get these projects completed,” Mayor Gonzales declared.
Reinvigorating the village’s parks was one of Mayor Gonzales’ campaign promises, saying “Just a few years ago the parks were really awful, I made a point to do these things: Get for new units for the police, fix up the parks, and fix up the swimming pool.”