The Altoona Rec

Part 4: Modern Developments at the Park

While physical work on the park was halted, the effort to secure funding for the park continued. In 2019 & 2020, the town applied for $7,000 worth of grant funding from Coosa Valley RC&D to upgrade the pavilion and softball field walking lights to LED, refurbish the pavilions with new stain and sealer, replace the vandalized picnic tables, add security cameras to the recreation building and park, and update the park signage. In October of 2021, this grant was finally awarded.

An additional funding source came via ADECA’s Scrap Tire Program. The program, which recycles old tires into rubber mulch, awarded the town $10,000 in the summer of 2021. This program allowed the playground area to have a 100% recycled, long lasting, and safer play base than the wood-chips that were used since its inception.

In addition to funding, the community stepped in to help with the neglect and vandalism at the park. Make Altoona Beautiful, a community organization founded during the summer of 2019 played a large role in this. The organization spearheaded cleanups at the park which included removal of the overgrown shrubs at the ballfields, refurbishment of wooden bleachers, removal of weeds from the tennis and basketball courts, pressure washing of the concrete surfaces, and a complete clean out, and repainting of the concession stand. To cap off their effort a mural was added to the Brown Street side of the concession stand. The Choctaw logo and the Patriot logo were painted on either side of the back door. A symbol of the evolution of the park and the role it has played from Altoona Choctaw football to West End Patriot softball.

In part through the efforts of Make Altoona Beautiful, the spring of 2021 brought a renewed focus by the town on the park and recreation building. With the employee issues resolved and grant funding waiting in the wings, construction was restarted on the park and recreation building. Capital improvement funds were utilized to repair the drywall inside the building. Funds were also used to replace all fluorescent lighting with LED.

In the hope that the small upper field would be better utilized, a back door was added to what had been the men’s restroom, turning it into a unisex restroom with outside access. Michael Allison of Oneonta painted the exterior of the building, one of the final projects of his painting career. To bring the park up to modern standards, work began on providing free public Wi-Fi to the building and park.

The revival of work at the park coincided with the complete renovation of Oneonta’s recreation facilities. As a result, the town was able to obtain numerous surplus items from the City of Oneonta. These included materials to build a roof over the batting cage and plastic covers to shield the entire perimeter of the lower softball field.

In 2024, the Town applied to the Land and Water Conservation Fund to renovate major portions of the park. The $462,272 project would have included the installation of a net backstop around the main softball field, replacing the current chain-link backstop. This would have been complemented by a press box deck behind home plate for a scorekeeper. The portion of the walking track behind left field would also have been reconstructed, eliminating the erosion issues that plague the area. The basketball/tennis court was to be completely refurbished with a new surface, fencing, and the creation of a pickleball court in place of one of the tennis courts. The court area would have been finished with new LED lighting. Other additions would have included installing a fence around the playground, shade sails over both the playground and softball concourse area, and improved landscaping around the tennis/basketball courts and playground. Unfortunately, the town did not receive the funding.

In 2025, the town funded the installation of fencing around the playground, refurbishment of the main softball and park perimeter fences, and the addition of a three-panel black vinyl fence along the upper portion of the park, completing part of the LWCF vision. Further improvements included the expansion and beautification of the parking area across from the main softball field. These improvements included relocating a fire hydrant for safety, adding perimeter fencing, and installing a crosswalk and a four-way stop at the Brown Street and 6th Avenue intersection. In early 2026, the Town applied for an Etowah County Community Development Grant to replace the roof on the concession stand and dugouts at the softball field. In the more than 90 years of the park’s existence, the grounds have undergone several changes. Each time, the purpose has remained the same: to serve the recreational and social interests of the community. The grounds have borne witness to political speeches, a multitude of football games, community softball games, dances, educational activities, and general recreation. The park stands today as a symbol of Altoona’s evolution. It began with coal and serving the needs of the company, then the school, and finally the community. Its inclusion in the Land and Water Conservation Fund ensures that it will remain a public park in perpetuity and continue serving the citizens of Altoona.