Jeremy Ratliff
Reporter
Monday morning, the Merrill street department went to work on the new downtown Pocket Park on the 900 Block of East Main Street, between Merrill Community Bank and the former Book World building.
According to City Administrator Dave Johnson, the park – having an estimated completion date of late fall – will be known as “Bankers Square” in honor of the two city lots having been purchased from Lincoln Community Bank and Merrill Community Bank (then Merrill Federal Savings and Loan) in 2016.
The park will include picnic tables, green space and a staircase leading from the park to the riverside alley wall to the south of the park. Also on the south end will be a concrete pad with electrical access, for use during future events or small concerts and live performances. Users will also have free access to city-owned wi-fi service.
“Our hope is for the future Bankers Square to promote our downtown business community and give people a place to gather and enjoy the outdoors in the downtown area,” Johnson added. “The park will be available for use during downtown events such as Crazy Daze and the city Chili Cook-Off, so we are hoping it will help promote those events as well.”
Later this summer, city administration plans to host a meeting with downtown business owners to discuss various amenities possible for the park and ultimately have direct input on what Bankers Square will look like upon completion.