Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun has reported extensively about the future of the former Snyder Park Golf Course since it closed in January of 2014.
The Ohio State University Extension Office and local Master Gardeners volunteers are moving the former Gateway Learning Gardens to its new location at the former Snyder Park Golf Course this week.
The plants must be removed from the organization’s site at the former Clark County Agricultural Services Building, 4400 Gateway Blvd., at the Prime Ohio Corporate Park by June 15. The business park is now owned by Konecranes, a manufacturing company.
The plants are being located in temporary areas this week, OSU Extension Director Pam Bennett said. They’re waiting to have some excavating completed and some trees removed.
“It’s a soft move-in,” Bennett said. “Everything right now is temporary.”
The master plan for the new location will be released during the Master Gardeners’ wine tasting event at 3 p.m. July 18 at the Snyder Park Clubhouse, she said.
The group is hoping to have its first official gardens planted by the fall, Bennett said.
“It’s exciting as heck,” she said. “We’re so fortunate to have a partner like (the National Trail Parks and Recreation District), who allows us to have this incredible location.”
The local Master Gardeners organization was created in 1993 and the Gateway Learning Gardens were planted in 1996, Bennett said. While the move is sad, the new location is situated in a much better area, away from large trucks and manufacturing plants, she added.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Bennett said.
The Master Gardeners are expected to manage more than five acres of the former golf course, which closed permanently last year after 94 years in business. The gardens are used for education and outreach.
Last year, the OSU Extension Offices moved from the Clark County Agricultural Services Building, 4400 Gateway Blvd., to new offices at the Springview Government Center, 3130 E. Main St. The gardens were expected to move to Springview until the Snyder Park site became available last year.
The master plan will be the latest addition to improvements at the former golf course. Last week, a new $30,000 dog park, Central Bark, opened in an area near the former golf course. Last summer, a $300,000 accessible playground built by the Springfield Rotary Club was built near the tennis courts. A $350,000 water playground is also expected to open in July.
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