Award marks borough’s third consecutive year receiving DCNR recreation funding and its first through the Small Communities program.
Ford City Borough has been awarded a $95,000 state grant to rehabilitate Ford View Park, advancing plans to replace aging playground features, improve accessibility, upgrade the basketball court, and add shade to the neighborhood recreation space.
The award from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources marks the third consecutive year the borough has received funding through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program, commonly known as C2P2. It is the borough’s first award through the program’s Small Communities component in recent years.
The grant will support a planned $160,000 project at the park, located at 328 Ferndale Street. The borough will contribute $65,000 through a combination of $49,800 in funding and approximately $15,200 in municipal labor and equipment use. Borough Manager Charles Stull hopes to match with other grants, where possible.
“Receiving DCNR funding for the third consecutive year allows us to keep making progress on our parks and recreation spaces,” Stull said. “This award gives us the opportunity to make substantial improvements to a neighborhood park that needs attention, while stretching our local dollars further.”
Council President Sally Beck said the award will help the borough make improvements that families can enjoy for years to come.
“Our neighborhood parks are an important part of life in Ford City,” Beck said. “This funding will help us give families a safer, more welcoming place to spend time together, right in their own neighborhood.”
Ford View Park occupies approximately one-quarter acre and currently includes a pavilion, a small basketball area, and playground equipment. Its aging play surfaces, limited accessible walkways, and lack of shade were among the conditions identified by the Borough.
The proposed rehabilitation includes a play structure for children ages 2 through 5, climbing features, a rotating play feature, and new swings. Plans call for traditional belt swings, a toddler swing, and an inclusive swing to accommodate children with differing needs.
The existing playground surfacing and borders will be replaced, with engineered wood fiber safety surfacing planned for the play area. New concrete sidewalks and pads will improve access between park features, while a small paved parking area will include an accessible parking space.
The basketball area is slated for new asphalt paving, court striping, and a replacement basketball goal. Fencing and a protective net system are also included in the proposed project, along with native shade trees, a trash receptacle, and restoration of disturbed areas.
“Ford View Park may be small, but it matters to the families who live around it,” Stull said. “We want children to have a safer place to play and parents, grandparents, and residents with mobility challenges to be able to access and enjoy the park more easily.”
Resident feedback helped shape the project. The borough collected 51 responses through a survey shared online and mailed to households near the park.
More than 92 percent of respondents supported seeking grant funding for improvements. Approximately 75 percent requested new playground equipment, and about 63 percent identified safer playground surfacing as a priority. More than 70 percent indicated the park could be more accessible for people with disabilities, while nearly 70 percent said additional shade would encourage them to use it more often.
“The survey gave us a clear picture of what residents wanted to see,” Stull said. “New equipment, safer surfacing, better accessibility, and shade were recurring priorities. Those responses helped us build a project around the needs of the people who use the park.”
“Residents took the time to tell us what would make this park better, and their input helped move this project forward,” Beck said. “It is exciting to see those ideas take another step toward becoming improvements children and families will be able to enjoy.”
The application received written support from state Sen. Joe Pittman, state Rep. Abby Major, Armstrong County Commissioners John Strate, Anthony Shea, and Pat Fabian, and the Ford City Borough Parks and Recreation Committee, chaired by Alysia Rittner.
Their letters emphasized the value of close-to-home recreation and the need to address the park’s accessibility, aging infrastructure, and lack of shade. The Parks and Recreation Committee also supported the project as an investment in a more inclusive and welcoming neighborhood space.
“We appreciate Senator Pittman, Representative Major, our county commissioners, and the Parks and Recreation Committee for supporting this application,” Stull said. “We also thank DCNR for continuing to invest in Ford City, Borough Council for committing the local resources, and the residents who took the time to share their ideas.”
The borough will provide updates as the project advances through final design and implementation, including construction timing and any temporary restrictions on park access. Ford City will continue to own and maintain the park following completion.
