New Brentwood Park Officially Opens Saturday

New Brentwood Park

By SAMANTHA HEARN

Wikle Park: You’ve heard about it, you’ve wondered where it is, and now this Saturday you can finally check it out as the city cuts the grand opening ribbons.

Wikle Park has been in use for a few weeks now, with playground equipment and a paved walking trail, and on Saturday it will officially open in tandem with the adjacent Flagpole Park.

Mostly intended to be a lower traffic, neighborhood park, Wikle Park will have a pedestrian easement that connects to Flagpole Park, which will be more dedicated to practice fields and activities. Flagpole Park is accessible at the north end of Mallory Lane, and Wikle Park is located at the end of Wikle Road West. With development happening behind the parks at Mallory Park, the 8.7-acre Flagpole Park and the 15-acre Wikle Park serve as a buffer zone to hide the commercial area from the nearby neighborhoods.

The planning of these parks has been ongoing since before October of 2015, when the city approved an agreement with Division 2 Constructors to develop the area, already commonly known as Flagpole Park.

With nearly $80,000 purchased in playground equipment that includes heavy duty swings, a free standing spiral slide, rainbow loops and more, the children’s area was developed by Custom Recreation. It also features a grasshopper spring rider, a bumblebee spring rider, a climbing structure and two modular structures.

Children ages 2 to 12 have space to play at Wikle Park, and the area has mulch, gazebos, benches and trash bins nearby, as well as a bathroom building. Custom Recreation has installed numerous shelters and playgrounds in the Brentwood area, including the Granny White playground which was installed in 2000.

The parks are located between the CSX railroad on the west, Interstate 65 and General MacArthur Drive on the east, and Wikle Road West to the south. They are surrounded by the commercial area known as Mallory Park, the future new headquarters of Quorum Healthcare, housed in two one-story office buildings.

The official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is this Saturday, Oct. 22. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. There will be a free exercise class after the ceremony, so come dressed for a workout.

Wikle Park is located at 7042 Wikle Road West, but the city is asking participants to park at Flagpole Park, located at 1560 Mallory Lane.

Samantha Hearn reports for Home Page Media Group. She can be reached via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @samanthahearn.