Repairs underway at damaged Gibbs Park, skatepark set

Renovations are currently taking place at Gibbs Park, which suffered damage below the park basin from the runoff caused by heavy rainfall last summer.
“The city workers are currently removing the old stadium, some of which will be used for fill as we re-contour the area,” said Max Springer, Mt. Vernon city administrator. “By our employees doing this part, (it) will help reduce some of the overall cost of replacing the storm water drain pipe. The damage may be a little worse than we originally thought.”
Springer added the repairs are expected to be completed this year, though he didn’t state exactly when.
The park was gifted to the city by Mary Gibbs in her will.
“Mrs. Gibbs, in her will, placed the property in a trust held by the Masonic Lodge A.F A. M. No. 99 for a city park,” Springer said. “The city accepted Mrs. Gibbs gift of the land for a park in (Ordinance 22) dated May 7, 1926. The city re-did the ordinance again May 7, 1962; not sure why.”
Springer said Gibbs’ will stipulated the property must always be used by the city as a park, and it already had a bandstand built on it in 1919, seven years before the city took possession of it. The stadium was built later.
“The stadium was finished in the late spring (or) early summer of 1935,” Springer said. “It was a WPA project.”
Gibbs Park is the site of Mt. Vernon’s future skatepark. The Mt. Vernon Board of Aldermen voted to make Gibbs Park into the skatepark during their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 28 last year.