TRURO - An entrance to Truro that for years has been considered an eyesore is undergoing a major makeover.
A riverfront park is under construction along the banks of the Salmon River near Walker Street where the public works buildings stood for generations. The buildings were torn down two years ago after a new $2.124-million facility opened in the industrial park.
The riverfront park is part of the green spaces funding the Downtown Truro Partnership (DTP) secured from the federal government last year.
"This is going to be a welcome addition to the downtown when driving in from Bible Hill," said DTP president Mark Sidler.
The idea of a riverfront park has been discussed for a couple of years since the town looked at building a new public works facility.
The park will include a gazebo, an amphiteatre, trees and shrubs with a small park setting to include benches and lighting.
"People appreciate the ability to go to a small park," said DTP executive director Debbie Elliott. "It's an area where people came meet, get together and relax."
Sidler said it would be "a venue for community events" such as functions and announcements in an "intimate setting."
The site work started about two weeks ago and is well into development. Officials hope the project will be complete by early fall.
The federal government announced $350,000 in September towards the green space project while the province announced $150,000 in January. The town is providing $50,000 in support for the project.
The riverfront park is one of the sites where work will be done. Others include the entrance to Victoria Park, Victoria Square and the Prince Street lot where sections of the Berlin Wall are located.
Do you have to be so nasty? A lot of people with forward vision in this community will see the benefit of cleaning up this space. The $500,000 investment will likely result in higher property values and higher assessments which will mean more property tax revenue.