Members of the community are not pleased with the decision by Enloe Medical Center to construct parking lots instead of the park they were promised.
The Century Project is an expansion plan at Enloe Medical Center that began in 2007, according to Enloe’s official website. It encompasses a new patient tower, called the Magnolia Tower, expanded Emergency Department, a parking structure and a park.
A playground is already in place near the facility, and by expanding the area around the hospital grounds and surrounding neighborhood the space will provide a buffer between the two, according to a construction update.
The community has responded in discontent by posting signs on neighboring lawns, as locals feel the promises made by the hospital have fallen through.
The signs read, “Enloe promised us a park, now it looks more like a parking structure.”
Donna Todd, a local resident, proudly posts one of the signs in her front yard.
“They have been making plans for the park for awhile, and we haven’t seen any progress,” Todd said. “We want this for our neighborhood.”
Work on the park was reported to start by the end of August and is set to be completed by June of next year.
Building the park is part of the Development Agreement with the city. Enloe intends to follow the letter and spirit of this agreement, according to the update.
The update also said once construction begins, the project should take at least five months.
Kaylie Lewis can be reached at [email protected] or @kaylielewis_ on Twitter.