In a move that's about as exciting as watching paint dry, Arlington has decided to jazz up Richard Simpson Park with a slew of voter-approved upgrades. Among palms greasy with lobby handshakes, the gears of bureaucracy churned out plans for a brand-spanking-new fishing pier, a nature-themed playground for the kiddos, a sheltered picnic spot to munch your heart out with lakeside views, some spiffy landscaping to hide the unsightly bits, and a parking lot makeover because, let's face it, even your car deserves a good view when it’s resting its tires. Oh, and for the fitness buffs, there’ll be a trail that comes with a bonus feature: your very own outdoor gym equipment. Construction fences are already up, sharpening the skyline across the park sprawling over nine lake-adjacent acres. Put your khakis on, folks, and mark your calendars for the reveal next summer to maybe work off the picnic spread, reports indicate from the City of Arlington.
For those who walk the trails at Richard Simpson Park, like newlyweds Doris Morgan and Ken Cox - who tie the knot every morning they're out there tying their sneakers for a walk, there's a bit of a bittersweet twinge. They can hardly wait for the trail extension, which promises additional scenic swooning. "The lake it is so beautiful," Morgan told a City of Arlington interview, while likely trying not to trip, what with all the hand-holding and not looking at the path. The extended path docks a pier into the experience North of the current spot where Tommy Jackson wrestles catfish and crappie on the regular. Jackson candidly shared with the City of Arlington, that the prospect of a less crowded pier will enhance his daily fishing serenity.
For those keeping score, the first round of Richard Simpson Park renovations, which voters waved through in 2008, culminated in 2019 with the Kathryn Wilemon Lake House Event Center that now stands proudly like a giant amongst garden gnomes. Now, the cherry on this urban development sundae, Phase II, seems to also butter up traditionally underrepresented businesses, with a promise of letting at least 19.14% of the pie be enjoyed by minority and women-owned enterprises, as per the City of Arlington Office of Business Diversity – Cole Construction, Inc. leading the choir with their 14.95% participation commitment, or $539,940 worth of the $3,611,638 contract if you're inclined towards numbers.
