Jay still looking at park

Council eyes plans for park’s upgrade

The Jay Council got a look at the plans so far for the Bray-Hendricks Park master plan last Wednesday and made a few modifications that will save some money and utilize the space better.

Councilman Josh Holloway was not present.

The company doing the architectural designs of the buildings is STOA Architects out of Pensacola.

The plans for the main concession building in the middle of the park include a concrete foundation, brick veneer, a steep sloped metal roof that will last a long time and wood trusses that will be exposed in some places and concealed in others.

The first floor will contain bathrooms, concessions with a full kitchen, storage space, utility space and a tower with an elevator. The second floor will be the command center, a community room and a 360-degree field of vision to see the entire park, which is convenient for tournaments.

It will have a breezeway that is covered and leads to the bathroom and concessions area.

There will be two smaller concessions buildings, one by the amphitheater, which will have a grilling area and covered porch, and the other by the basketball courts. They will not have full kitchens, but a small area to heat food and eat. Each will have a bathroom, but the council requested some changes to the plans.

Council members asked questions and made some adjustments and changes to the buildings.

Mayor Shon Owens made suggestions to change some of the materials from the inside to the outside, such as sheetrock for the ceiling of the command center versus the wood tongue-and-groove ceiling on the plans. He wanted to make sure the space is being used to its maximum.

The architect said the buildings are built to be cohesive and look similar, using the same materials.

Councilwoman Jane Hayes explained why council members were concerned about materials and the usability of the structures, citing the park now has served the town for 30 years or more with no major improvements and they are ready to invest in a park the town can be proud of that will last.

“We want this to one to last longer,” said Councilwoman Jane Hayes.

There was more discussion about the amphitheater column placement and layout in relation to what the town wants to use the amphitheater for. The placement columns will be modified to not block the front, or stage area.

STOA will work with the modifications and suggestions and come back to the council in the future with more plans.

The next meeting will be at 6 p.m., Monday Sept. 19 at town hall.

 
 
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