Wellmark Foundation Awards $100,000 to Re-Imagine Comiskey Park Project

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Wellmark Foundation has awarded the City of Dubuque’s “Re-Imagine Comiskey Park” project $100,000 as a part of Wellmark’s Large MATCH Grant Program, to be used toward the addition of a splash pad and expansion of basketball courts at the park.
 
The splash pad and basketball courts expansion are only two of the improvements that will be incorporated as a part of the larger Comiskey Park redevelopment project. A splash pad will provide free water play for all ages and a place to cool down in the summer. The expansion of basketball courts will add capacity to the existing overcrowded courts. A community engagement process conducted by the Leisure Services Department identified these two amenities as top choices for the redevelopment of Comiskey Park. 
 
Comiskey Park serves the Washington and North End neighborhoods and is home to many community events. While Comiskey Park currently has many amenities, they are outdated, well-used, and do not meet current recreation demands. The City recently expanded Comiskey Park by two additional acres, making it a nearly six-acre park. Expansion, coupled with redevelopment, will increase recreation access, enhance quality of life, and improve health outcomes for Dubuque. The project priorities aligned with Wellmark Foundation’s grant priorities, which include safe environments in which to be physically active. “I am so excited to see the park transform,” said Wellmark Foundation Manager Gina Rooney.
 
The City of Dubuque was previously awarded a $508,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program grant to expand outdoor recreational opportunities in the park. That grant will be matched with City of Dubuque capital improvement funding. Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware shared, “The Wellmark Foundation funding will enhance our efforts to encourage more physical activity in the park and address the most important amenities identified by the community.”

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