ASHLAND — Park improvements in the villages of Savannah and Bailey Lakes are one step closer.
The Ashland County Board of Commissioners on Thursday authorized advertising to accept “statements of qualifications” from engineering firms for the construction of park improvements in Savannah. Statements will be accepted until May 7 at 4 p.m.
Ashland County Board of Commissioners clerk Nikki Hiller said park improvements include electrical, plumbing and sewage work at Academy Park — where a prefab bathroom is set to be installed.
Work will also include designing a basketball court and pickleball court to be installed at Baseball Park, she said.
The park improvements are estimated to cost about $169,000, according to Hiller.
In November 2025, Savannah was awarded $750,000 in Neighborhood Revitalization and Critical Infrastructure grants. A portion of those funds will help cover the costs of the improvements at Academy and Baseball parks.
Additional uses of those funds will help the village install sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian beacons and a digital outdoor sign, as well as the reconstruction of Haney Street.
Bailey Lakes to create two parks
In other action Thursday, commissioners also authorized advertising to accept sealed bids for Bailey Lakes’ park improvement project. Bids may be submitted through May 7 at 9:15 a.m.
Hiller said the project is estimated to cost $140,000.
In January, Ashland County was awarded $150,000 through the Community Development Block Grant Allocation Program. These funds will be used toward the park improvements in Bailey Lakes.
The project includes purchasing and installing new playground equipment at two parks in the village.
“They don’t have any (parks) in their village right now. There will be a playground on each side of (U.S. Route) 250 so that kids do not have to cross the street,” Hiller said in January.
Ringler Park — the larger of the two — will be located at the intersection of Highland Boulevard and Wesley Street. Ariel Isaacs, the village’s council president, previously said the park will feature a jungle gym, swings, rockers and spinners.
The smaller park, which officials plan to name “Lakeview Park,” will be located along Lake Drive and situated on property overseeing Savannah Lake. It will feature a jungle gym and swings, Isaacs said in May 2025.
More grant documents from the state are expected before knowing a definitive timeline for projects in both villages, Hiller said previously, but she is hopeful work in Bailey Lakes could begin as early as spring.
