Meridian’s parks and recreational facilities are one step closer to being rejuvenated after the Meridian City Council on Tuesday moved forward with a $5 million bond to fund upgrades and repairs.

Tray Hairston with the law firm Butler Snow, who has helped the city with previous bond issues, said the city received bids from three banks on the potential bond.

Citizens, Trustmark and Regions banks responded to the request for proposals, with Regions coming in with the lowest interest rate of 3.68%, Hairston said. Trustmark and Citizens came in above that with 4.67% and 4.69% respectively.

“The recommendation is to accept Regions,” he said.

With the council voting to accept Regions’ bid, Hairston said the council’s part in the bond process is complete. Over the next few weeks, he said work will be done to validate the bond, publish the required notices and finalize the paperwork.

The city can expect to see the money hit its accounts by the end of June, Hairston said.

The City of Meridian plans to use the bond funds for various upgrades and repairs across its parks and recreational facilities. The plan includes turf infields at Phil Hardin and Q.V. Sykes Park, resurfacing tennis courts, adding pickle ball courts, installing playgrounds and sunshades and more.

More than $1 million is also set aside for paving. Many of the city’s parking areas at its public parks are included on the paving list as well as roads running through the parks and the golf cart trail at Lakeview Golf Course.

An additional $1 million is also set aside for the construction of a new Frank Cochran Center at Highland Park. The current center has been closed since it was damaged in a fire in 2019.

Notification that the city would begin advertising for bids for the new center’s construction was included on the City Council’s Tuesday agenda. The council hopes to award the project at its second meeting in June or first meeting in July.

In other parks business, the City Council authorized the city to sign two contracts with Mississippi Power to replace two sets of power poles and lights at Phil Hardin Park. The poles were damaged in March storms that brought down trees and damaged property throughout the city and county.

Ed Skipper, who serves as administrative assistant to the mayor, said one set of poles will cost just under $20,000, and the other will be just under $7,500. Both projects will be paid for out of the $144,000 available in Meridian Public Safety’s budget for disaster response.

Highland Park also sustained damage in the March storms, and the city is working to finalize quotes on those repairs as well, Skipper said. That information is expected to be available for the council to vote on at its next meeting.