The Lincolnton City Council recently passed a new city budget within which is funding allocated for two big projects the city hopes to begin early next year.
The first is a new Public Service center for all the public works and utilities to store materials, supplies, and space for vehicle maintenance, among other planned uses. The new facility will be 34,000 sq. ft. with 16 acres of land. Additionally, the center will be more centrally located which will improve efficiency and reduce vehicle emissions. Mr. Ritchie Haynes, Lincolnton City Manager, believes that this project is needed because the current public service center is undersized for its purpose and has been in use by the city since the 1990s. The cost for this project is expected to be $8,000,000 to $9,000,000, with the city receiving bids in the winter of 2025. Mr. Haynes hopes that construction will begin in early 2026 with anticipated completion sometime in the spring of 2027.
The second project is an update of the City Park! Located at 1000 N. Aspen Street the Lincolnton City Park currently consists of bathrooms, a parking lot, and fields; however, the city has plans to completely renovated the entire complex. Mr. Haynes remarked that the park as it is now has been there for fifty years and not a lot was ever done with the property. The updated city park will have two multipurpose fields, a pump track, pickel ball courts, sheltered areas, a new parking lot, and more! The city manager expressed hope that the new park would be beneficial for the residents in the area. Construction is hoped to begin in early 2026 with completion estimated to be around the end of 2027. The park projects estimated cost is $2,000,000 to $4,000,000.
The city has been appropriating funds for both projects for a while and is within budget to begin the construction process. Lincolnton may have to borrow money to cover some of the construction costs. On June 5th the city council voted to approve the new budget with these two projects planned within.
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