The first of two groundbreaking ceremonies to celebrate a number of improvements at Hernando’s Renasant Park were held Friday morning.
Hernando City Parks Director Jared Barkley said Friday’s groundbreaking was held to initiate Phase One of the improvements with several components included. In the area where the skate park and dog park is located will be a pavilion with education and entertainment space, a multi-purpose event lawn with a surrounding infinity trail, an 18-hole disc golf course, a 3.5 acre native grass and wildflower meadow, and infrastructure improvements for parking, sidewalks, and road improvements.
Barkley said funding for this phase of the improvements comes in large measure from a $1.7 million grant provided by the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. Director Ricky Flynt was among those in attendance for Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony.
The funding came in the first round of funds from MOSTF, first voted through by the legislature in 2022 and signed by Gov. Tate Reeves. The city is adding more than $763,000 in matching funds for the Renasant Park Phase One improvements. The act that was initially passed and signed in the 2022 legislative session was entitled the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Act.
Officials line up for groundbreaking of the Renasant Park Phase One project in Hernando. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Mayor Chip Johnson calls the entire project the city’s largest parks investment ever. Phase Two will cost $6.5 million and will be funded through a general obligation bond, for a total financial investment of $9.2 million.
The second phase will feature four new softball/baseball fields with artificial turf infields and a new concession and restroom building for the new fields. A groundbreaking event for that part of the project will take place on Jan.22.
In his remarks, Johnson reflected back on the time that Hernando first started a stand-alone parks department in 2005 and the improvements that have taken place since then.
“We have built a new soccer facility and have since improved it,” Johnson said. “We have built and improved Lee’s Summit Park, we took over the old high school football field, fixed it up and renamed it Milton Kuykendall Park, and we purchased the Civic Center ball fields.”
Johnson also acknowledged the importance of the MOSTF Fund making the improvements possible, noting the support it got from the DeSoto County legislative delegation.
The mayor in particular singled out state Sen. Michael McLendon (R-Hernando), state Rep. W.I. “Doc” Harris (R-Hernando) and state Rep. Bill Kinkade (R-Byhalia) for their backing. He also thanked the Board of Aldermen for their project support.
