Page 33 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2020

JACKSON COUNTY
PLAYGROUND IN FULL
SWING!
story and photos by Paige Roberts
What’s in a name? Well, the city of Gautier can certainly answer that question. The city known as Nature’s Playground is putting money where its
moniker is. Four city-wide projects are in varying phases, and all of them magnify Gautier’s natural beauty and connectivity to its people.
April saw the opening of the George Martin City Park Nature and Fitness Trail o de la Pointe Drive. The $200,000 project has been under way for about nine months and includes a half-mile trail and tness equipment. City Manager Paula Yancey and City Councilman Casey Vaughan saw a similar amenity in other cities and brought the idea back to Gautier because there was no public tness option for city residents. Funding came from Tidelands and a city bond.
In the southern section of town o Graveline Road, Shepard State Park is undergoing two projects. The new Welcome Center is scheduled to open this month. Local businessman Brian Britt donated the log cabin he had been using as a
bed and breakfast to the city, and the city has renovated it in three phases. City sta will man the center, which will serve as the park’s check-in location. Deeper inside the park, work continues on the Marshwalk Pier, also funded by Tidelands and bond money. The pier improves access to the marsh and provides varying views for students, birders, and other eco- tourists. City o cials expect completion later this fall.
Around the corner from Shepard State Park, workers are making preparations for a facelift to Bacot Park. A much more involved project than the others, this renovation will not see completion until 2021. The plan includes a covered basketball pavilion, two uncovered basketball courts, improved baseball and football elds, new lighting, trails, sidewalks, pavilion for picnicking, and an expanded splash pad.
Phase one of the Town Center Development is fully funded. It is a large, open lawn north of Dolphin Drive near the
city fountain behind the old mall property. The rst phase includes an open-air amphitheater, parking for Cruisin’ the Coast, pickleball and volleyball courts, concession stands with restrooms, a dog park, and a musical water feature in the pond. Selective clearing has begun and contractors are awaiting permits.
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May 2020 | 33
FAMILIES ENJOY EXERCISING at the George Martin City Park Nature and Fitness Trail in Gautier.
nature’s