JACKSONVILLE, Texas — A neighborhood park in Jacksonville is receiving a $500,000 upgrade with plenty of excitement surrounding it.
"And I’m like yeah brother I mean I couldn’t hardly sleep last night. I’m so excited with the news," Jacksonville resident Lueann Williams said.
Williams has lived right around Lincoln Park for 50 years. She’s seen the space go through ups and downs, but things are looking brighter than ever for the park right now.
"And it’s time and we want to see some change come to this area, we want to see some investment. And so, collectively as a community we said let’s start with Lincoln Park. And so that’s where this effort really kicked off," Jacksonville District 1 City Councilwoman Letitia Horace said.
The first change expecting to happen is a walking trail that will encompass the entire park. Additional features include incorporating adult exercise equipment, revamping bathrooms and potentially adding a water feature.
The project is still a couple years from being complete, but one thing’s for sure, Lincoln Park is going to be a point of pride for everyone in Jacksonville.
"I raised three children here. And they moved away, went off to college doing well, and it has been awesome living around in the park. And now look. I mean, our coming together and unity to make this happen makes me very proud that we’re doing this," Williams said.
UT Health Jacksonville physician Kenya Etim spent years practicing medicine around the country before returning to Jacksonville to help rebuild a community that her family holds dear.
"All of that equipped and built me up so I was ready to come here. It has always been my purpose to get here and make a difference, to reclaim that neighborhood," Etim said.
Etim is just one part of a city-wide push helping to bring more light to Jacksonville.
"Isn’t this what we frequently say? The more you move today, the more likely you are to move tomorrow," Etim said.