By RICHARD H. HRONIK III Daily News-Record

Oct 9, 2024 Updated Oct 10, 2024

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Harrisonburg city staff braved the cool weather Wednesday morning to break ground on a project that had been a long time in the making.

A groundbreaking marked the long-awaited first step of construction on the Spraygrounds at Ralph Sampson Park. Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation staff will be working with Nielsen Builders to create a large splash pad adjacent to the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center.

Mayor Deanna Reed, Vice Mayor Laura Dent, and Council Members Dany Fleming, Monica Robinson and Chris Jones attended to remove the first scoops of dirt with golden shovels, along with City Manager Ande Banks and Deputy City Manager Amy Snider. Staff from the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation were in attendance, along with representatives from Nielsen Builders, who will be the primary construction contractor for the project.

The brief ceremony started with Brian Mancini, director of parks and rec, thanking current and former city council members for their work in making the project a reality.

“It’s a really exciting day,” Mancini said. “We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time; it’s been a long time in the making. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say thanks to City Council. All the funding that we’ve gotten for all of our ARPA projects is really transforming our parks and recreation system, and I couldn’t be more grateful. For those of you on the council now and the council prior, we all appreciate what you have done for us, and we don’t take it for granted.”

Mancini added that the goal is to open the park by Memorial Day, but the timeline may be delayed as the project progresses.

Reed, a long-time advocate of the project, said it will draw more city residents to Ralph Sampson Park.

“I am so happy to be here today and see this fantastic project underway,” Reed said. “This is one of my babies. This is the one that I led, along with the homeless shelter. I am so excited for Simms, my cousin Stephanie, who supervises Simms, the parks and rec team, and our families, who will enjoy this new amenity here at Ralph Sampson Park. Projects like the one that we’re celebrating today create new opportunities for our community to come together and give families more ways to enjoy the outdoors. These are investments in our park facilities and neighborhoods.”

Dan Hilton, president and CEO of Nielsen, said he was honored to help spread the same joy experienced by his family to the city.

“I’m also the father to two girls under the age of 14,” Hilton said. “In the last 14 years, I’ve seen them splash in puddles, play in the sprinkler or on a Slip n’ Slide, play with water balloons, and just witnessed the joy that water play can bring children. At Nielsen, we’re honored to be able to bring that water play to the community of Harrisonburg on a grand scale.”

The final design for the park was unveiled at an event at the Lucy F. Simms Center for Continuing Education in June. The project is one of six parks and rec projects backed by funds the city received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The project received $2.2 million in ARPA funds. Other projects include a new Westover Skate Park, which started construction recently, according to Mancini, and a new Kids’ Castle at Purcell Park.

Contact Richard H. Hronik III at rhronik@dnronline.com, 540-208-3278, or on Twitter @rhronikDNR

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Click here for full article: Harrisonburg breaks ground on Spraygrounds project at Ralph Sampson Park

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