The current Kimball Park entrance crosses a rail line and never has been approved for public use.
Photo by Correspondent Ryan LewisKIMBALL, Tenn. - The construction of Kimball Park has been a long process.
With man-made ponds, a walking track, soccer fields and baseball fields, the development in and around the park has been going on for more than five years, and the city is seeking another state grant that would fund some finishing touches.
Matching grant
Kimball Mayor David Jackson said the grant is a $250,000 matching grant, which means the city would get $250,000 from the state and Kimball would contribute $250,000.
The plan for the money originally called for the installation of lights on the remaining unlit baseball fields and a new boat dock on the Tennessee River, officials said.
"We've received some good news and some bad news this week concerning the park grant [application]," Jackson said. "Our park grant is still being considered, but the bad side is [the state] will not do a boat dock or ramp."
He said he was unsure why the boat dock was denied, but the state made it clear the grant would not be approved with it in the plans.
Officials said they had hoped to put in the boat dock to facilitate some of the fishing tournaments the city has hosted recently, and to help recruit even larger fishing tournament organizations to Kimball.
When the news about the boat dock refusal came in, city officials said they had to come up quickly with some alternate ways to spend the grant.
Projects added
Jackson said two ballfield scoreboards, roofing for the baseball field dugouts, a new pavilion, picnic tables, batting cages and an additional playground area were added to the grant application.
"We're just trying to get some more money into the grant," he said.
The revised application was sent to the state last week, officials said.
If the grant is approved, city administrators "should know something" in October, Jackson said, and Kimball will have two years to spend the money.
"As far as us receiving the grant, I think things have sounded pretty good," he said. "I just hate that the boat ramp is not included. We'll continue to work on that, but at least we're still being considered."