Ground was officially broken November 23rd for the new Pathfinder Regional Park being developed west of Florence by Fremont County and the Canon City Recreation and Park District. The Fremont County Commissioners, members of the Recreation District Board of Directors, and officials from the Florence-Penrose RE-2 School District were joined by other state and local dignitaries in turning shovels of dirt initiating construction work on the Highway 115 access project into the 178 acre site.
State officials taking part were Wally Piccone, Executive Director of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and Deb Downs, Regional Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Representatives participating on behalf of the County's 47 acre portion of the project were Activities Center Steering Committee co-chairpersons Virginia Patton and Larry Wagner. Patton also serves as President of the Fremont 4-H Foundation.
A $500,000 'GOCO' grant is being used on the initial Phase One portion of the project. That money will help build a new $100,000 outdoor arena on the County's property, an entryway into the park, and the initial soccer and multi-sports fields on the Recreation District property. The County is completing survey work for excavation this fall and winter for the outdoor arena after which CL Construction of Fountain will begin erecting the arena itself.
A $300,000 Mineral Impact grant was secured for construction of the Highway 115 access. After bids were recently opened by the Recreation District and the low bid came in at $327,000, the Department of Local Affairs approved a $75,000 supplemental grant to help pay for the access. A & S Construction of Canon City was the successful low bidder and will begin work soon on the highway access.
Fremont County Commissioner Ed Norden and Recreation District Board President Scott Johnson spoke at the ceremony about the partnerships formed to acquire and develop the park property. Norden pointed out that a lot of people had a vision for many years of finding a site for a new fairgrounds and Pathfinder Park represents a vision that is about to happen. Norden noted that every face in the crowd had a dream that the project would be someday be done. He said "We are actually on the verge, that someday is here".
State officials taking part were Wally Piccone, Executive Director of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and Deb Downs, Regional Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Representatives participating on behalf of the County's 47 acre portion of the project were Activities Center Steering Committee co-chairpersons Virginia Patton and Larry Wagner. Patton also serves as President of the Fremont 4-H Foundation.
A $500,000 'GOCO' grant is being used on the initial Phase One portion of the project. That money will help build a new $100,000 outdoor arena on the County's property, an entryway into the park, and the initial soccer and multi-sports fields on the Recreation District property. The County is completing survey work for excavation this fall and winter for the outdoor arena after which CL Construction of Fountain will begin erecting the arena itself.
A $300,000 Mineral Impact grant was secured for construction of the Highway 115 access. After bids were recently opened by the Recreation District and the low bid came in at $327,000, the Department of Local Affairs approved a $75,000 supplemental grant to help pay for the access. A & S Construction of Canon City was the successful low bidder and will begin work soon on the highway access.
Fremont County Commissioner Ed Norden and Recreation District Board President Scott Johnson spoke at the ceremony about the partnerships formed to acquire and develop the park property. Norden pointed out that a lot of people had a vision for many years of finding a site for a new fairgrounds and Pathfinder Park represents a vision that is about to happen. Norden noted that every face in the crowd had a dream that the project would be someday be done. He said "We are actually on the verge, that someday is here".