‘A long time coming’: Two big waterfront parks will reshape York County recreation
For folks who like to play near the water, Monday was a big night in York County.
In Tega Cay, a construction bid was finalized on the long-anticipated Catawba Park. Meanwhile, York County approved an agreement with Duke Energy for a lease agreement on Allison Creek Park. Both will add significant public access to parts of the Catawba River or Lake Wylie.
Tega Cay awarded an $11.1 million construction bid to Southern Builders of Rock Hill. Catawba Park will have three large synthetic playing fields, additional baseball/softball fields and a large gathering lawn, among other features. The 62-acre park will be off New Grey Rock Road, along the Catawba.
“We anticipate breaking ground on the project by early to mid-June,” said Charlie Funderburk, city manager. “Barring any extended delays due to weather we hope to have phase one and two completed by fall of 2022.”
Catawba Park will provide needed recreation space in Rock Hill for town programs, along with a place big enough for the whole city to meet for festivals and large events. The field space can serve the city recreation department, and also is big enough to attract travel tournaments and the funds they would generate.
Plans for Catawba Park date back more than a decade.
“The park has been a long time coming,” Funderburk said. “We originally came up with the idea for the park back in 2005, so to be at the point where we are ready to break ground is amazing.”
Southern Builders has plenty of local experience. The company worked on Hargett Park, the Winthrop softball fields, Winthrop amphitheater and York Preperatory Academy in Rock Hill, plus the Baxter Close YMCA pool and water park in Fort Mill.
Catawba Park isn’t the only lakefront addition.
York County approved an agreement Monday night for property at Allison Creek Access Area. Duke Energy applied to upgrade that site as part of its federal hydroelectric license. There’s a fishing pier and two boat ramps. Duke asked to rezone 165 acres along Viesta Road to create a public park with camping, trails, picnic shelters and other features.
Several other lake or river access projects are in the works, from the restoration of Great Falls’ namesake river falls to the massive York County-owned Riverbend park property on the Rock Hill side of the river. York County also reopened a renovated Ebenezer Park in Rock Hill, with an expanded swim beach and pier area.
