A new Moscow Mills park with the capacity to serve as an entertainment venue is in the very early stages of planning and set to be completed by 2028 if not earlier.

“A city park helps bring the community together,” said Moscow Mills Mayor Lisa Meyer. “Amenities for all ages allow residents from different areas of the city a place to gather and get to know one another. There are beautiful parks near Moscow Mills that provide a variety of different amenities however having a park within the city shows not only our residents but people from outside the city that we listen to our residents and are working to make Moscow Mills better.”

Currently, there is Mill Site Park located on E. Front Street along the river, with part of it owned by the Lincoln County Historical Society and the other part of it owned by the City of Moscow Mills according to Meyer.

However, James Dye, the city’s current park board chair, says it is limited it what can offer. He says the park has one pavilion and few parking spaces.

With the new park, Dye says there will be more space and it will be “100% owned by the city.” Additionally, he says there are plans for the future park to have a basketball court, a playground area, walking paths, a sand volleyball court, and possibly a pickleball court as well as an anticipated concert venue and stage area.

“We hope that this park builds a sense of community that may or may not be in Moscow Mills right now,” Dye said. “Moscow Mills is one of the fastest growing municipalities within the four fastest growing counties within Missouri. In saying that, we envision this park bringing everybody together, whether you’ve been here 35 or 40 years, or you’ve been here 15 months. We envision this to be a cultural center for the community, for cultural events, concerts during the summer, family gatherings and outings, and picnics. We want it to be a hub of the community.”

Having a park with more amenities has long been a topic of discussion in the community, according to Dye. He says either the Mayor or Board of Alderman at the time suggested an appointed board look into the idea and that is how the city’s park board was formed. Then the homework began with the park board researching about possibility of making the park a reality.

Earlier this year, the park board presented to the Board of Alderman a 90-minute presentation detailing potential costs, the park itself, material labor, and a possible layout, discussion of applied statutes, regulations, and government entities. After the presentation, the new park project was unanimously approved by the board.

“Building a park was brought up repeatedly when I was running for election and I made it one of my goals to accomplish during my term. While it won’t be completed in my first term it will be started and that’s a win for the citizens of Moscow Mills,” Meyer said.

A rough estimate for the total cost for the new park is $300,000-$350,000. But that could change, Dye says, with the potential of construction costs overrun by 10% -20%, and any unforeseen issues like weather delays or equipment not working.

Dye says the park board will eventually dissolve when a nonprofit for the new park is formed, which is estimated to be in the next six months. The nonprofit will focus on an array of things.

“Creating and building a park tax-free comes with some challenges, none of which are too difficult to overcome which is why we are starting a nonprofit,” he said. “If we remained an appointed board of the government, because we’re not collecting taxes, all of our funds would have to go into a general fund for the city…whereas with a nonprofit, we’re separated from the government, we’re able to have our own financial accounting and we can ensure oversight, transparency, and accountability of all the money that comes in.”

Funds for the new park will likely come from donations, grants, and any corporate sponsorships.

A location for the park has already been picked out which Meyer says is “perfect” and owned by the city.

“It’s on the edge of town but within city limits and has room for expansion,” she said. The locale of the future park is 500 Hwy MM. After the new park is complete, there is potential for a dog park.

“Parks are beneficial to the healthy growth of any city,” Meyer said. “One of the things I hear most often is the request for a city park. Parents want somewhere close and safe to take their children to play, seniors want somewhere they can meet up with friends and relax outdoors, and teens are looking for somewhere to go and something to do.”