Iowa Great Places grant is helping to build a new wall at Phelps Park

Work has begun on replacing a large stretch of the wall along the road in Phelps Park.  Stone mason John Dingley has been hired by the City of Decorah to do the project.  Dingley, who lives in St. Paul, MN, also has worked on the stone in the Decorah welcome signs and on the historic Steyer Bridge on Twin Springs Road.

The previous stone wall has been removed and a new, concrete wall will be installed with rehab which will enable rocks to be attached to the new wall.  Dingley says the rocks, which will match the rocks in the previous wall, will be anchored to the new retaining wall.  He's expecting the work on the new wall to be completed by the end of the week.

Decorah Parks and Recreation Director Andy Nimrod says the Phelps Park wall project is part of $328,043 that will pay for improvements at local parks--$155,000 from the state's Great Places program and $173,043 from local funds (endowment funds, memorial funds and hotel/motel tax proceeds). 

In addition to the Phelps Park wall, projects scheduled to be done include repairs to the Larson Fountain in Phelps Park; work on the Phelps Trail; stone pillars in Dunning Springs Park and work on a path to Pulpit Rock.

Nimrod says not only will the Great Places grant help pay for all of these projects, it will give Decorah higher scores when it applies for other grants, including the REAP grants and state recreational trail grants.