TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Dan Wendorf, Parks & Recreation Director for the City of Merrill, said the Legion/Livingston Building is in the process of being repurposed for Merrill Parks & Recreation use.
“The Parks & Recreation Commission decided to add/return the building and property into park property (it used to be park property),” Wendorf said. “This was to ensure that we have one contiguous park from the three-arch bridge to Polk St. on the south side of 64.”
In recent weeks, the park’s old tennis courts were removed, adjacent to the skateboard park and the Legion/Livingston Building property. The tennis courts were not being used and were no longer in good condition. Their removal will improve the visual and practical use of that park space.
With reference to the Legion/Livingston Building itself, Wendorf said there may have been a misunderstanding and clarified. “We are not storing anything in there and haven’t discussed using it for storage,” he said. “However we have discussed potentially utilizing it for some recreation programs and occasionally for our Summer Playground Program.”
“It is a natural fit for us to utilize it in that fashion with its central location, proximity to numerous parks, amenities, and neighborhoods.”
“At some point, we would like to do some interior work and improvements and host more recreation programs and events in there, because we could use it for all four seasons,” Wendorf added.
“We are not actively looking for alternative uses or offers for the building,” he added, “and future decisions will be decided through the Parks & Recreation Commission now that it is a park structure located within a park.”