WINNSBORO—Winnsboro Town Manager Jason Taylor announced last week that the Town of Winnsboro has been awarded the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) grant of $1,859,744.90 for the Fortune Springs Stormwater Project and a $54.886.28 Parks and Recreation Development (PARD) grant for restoration work in Friendship Park at the corner of Garden and Moultrie Streets.
Fortune Springs Project
SCOR had previously awarded the Town a grant of $440,825.00 for Fortune Springs Park. Combining the current and previous SCORE awards, the Town now has a total of $2,300,569.90 to apply toward the Fortune Springs Park project.
Taylor said the newly awarded funds will help to ensure that the intent of the project, of addressing the underlying drainage issues that undermined the original park design, can be more fully realized.
“This money is primarily geared towards drainage and things like that. We hope we can include curbs and gutters and some sidewalks, but we have to explore what we can do beyond just site work,” Taylor said.
“This money,” he said, “is not for building pretty things – like fountains and such – it’s for the substantive things like foundational work that makes something be able to stand the test of time. Drainage is not a safety issue,” Taylor said, “but if you don’t deal with drainage, your project is going to be washed away because water’s going to do what water’s going to do.
“This newly awarded grant from SCOR will help to further the goal of revitalizing Winnsboro, making it a better place for its citizens, and more attractive for those considering to make Winnsboro their home.
“We want to thank the South Carolina Office of Resilience for recognizing Fortune Springs as a project worthy of investing in,” Taylor said. “These will have a long-lasting positive impact on the Town of Winnsboro.
Friendship Park Project
Tayor said the Friendship Park is a well-used and well-worn park that needs some attention.
“We’ll replace the concrete basketball courts to begin with and maybe take care of some fencing that a tree fell across,” Taylor said. “Then I hope we will be able to work on some of the parking lot pavement.
“Revitalization of the Town has been made a top priority by the Mayor and Town Council, and it has been strongly advocated by others such as State Representative Annie McDaniel,” Taylor said.
