Jason Hall, Cityo of Lyons, City Manager (912)526-3626 hallyonsga.org June 6", 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The City of Lyons, GA, AWARDED $2,200,000.00 The City of Lyons, GA- On May 18, 2023, the City was awarded a $2.2 million grant to improve the recreation: facilities at) Vincent Faison Sr. Park. With. the help of these funds, the City plans to enhance its recreation programming by creating two multi-use fields with lighting and scoreboards. They also aim. to build a second outdoor basketball court, several pickleball courts, a community center, and a concession: stand. In addition, portions of the previously underutilized park property willl become more accessible and functional with additional parking areas and an LYONS improved stormwater conveyance system, Vincent Faison Sr. Parki in Lyons, GA, has beenal beloved landmark for many years. The property is situated in the Northeast corner of the City between Hwy 292 and Hwy 152. The park property was gifted to the community in 1972 and was initially named Hallmark Park. The park was later renamed in honor of Vincent Faison, Sr. a committed volunteer coach for the Lyons Recreation Department. Although the park was initially designed for softball and baseball games, later, it became a popular location for passive recreation because the park was walkable from the surrounding neighborhoods, In 2018, the City received funds to construct a pavilion and playground, fulfiling thes vision of the late Councilman Ben L Mitchell. He stated before he died in 20191 that the neighboring community had tot take ownership of the park so the park could reach its maximum potential. Since then, the park has hosted numerous events and programs, and the City Council has continued exploring ways to expand the park's usability to the community. The Lyons City Council expressed their excitement upon hearing about the; award. The City appreciates the hard work put into this process by its team members, engineers, and the Heart of Georgia Regional Commission. The project will have al long-lasting impact on our community, Mayor NeSmith proudly acknowledged the legacy of his good friend, the late Ben L Mitchell, which lives on through the continued focus on Faison Park. The project is located in Council Ward Two, which Lyons City Councilwoman Mrs. Cathy Benton currently represents. The Councilwoman said, "am excited to be a part of this project.lam looking forward to seeing the positive impact the project will have on the community. know Mr. Ben would be proud of the work that we are doing and will continue to do for the betterment of our community." The grant acceptance and engineering processes have already commenced.