Arcadia gets help creating conceptual designs for possible improvement projects

The City of Arcadia is still looking for ways to improve itself nearly two years after Hurricane Ian.

The federal government isn't letting these efforts go unnoticed.

A program through the EPA helped the city map out conceptual designs for potential projects throughout the city. It's called the The Recovery and Resiliency Partnership Program (R2P2).

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"One is for our downtown area to help with infrastructure," said Assistant City Administrator for Arcadia Beth Carsten. "We have a lot of drainage issues. There's a lot of paving, and drains, and different types of layers under the ground [where] they can put in different types of plants that help with absorbing the water."

Another one is for park improvements.

"We call one of them a Triangle Park because that's really what it looks like," Carsten told Arcadia Community Correspondent Victoria Scott. "It was a park at one time. It's right up the road from here. We're looking at making it back into a park."

Victoria Scott

Carsten said some ideas for the potential park project include installing a playground and walking paths.

All of the proposed projects are conceptual.

However, these designs could help the city get grant funding if the projects come to fruition.

"Grant funds, now more than ever, are necessary for us to be able to take care of the parks and create new avenues for our citizens to have a good life," Carsten said.

Residents stopped by the Oak Park Inn in Downtown Arcadia last Thursday to examine all the designs.

Staff with the R2P2 Program will present a report reflecting public input in October.