A new park is now open for Birm­ing­ham res­i­dents, com­plete with walk­ing trails, a multi use ath­letic field and a state-of-the-art play­ground.  McWane Cast Iron Pipe Com­pany opened the entrance to the new Green­wood Park on Novem­ber 17, 2012.  The two-acre park, which is part of the Vil­lage Creek Green­way, is located just off Inter­state 20/59 between Tal­lapoosa and Coosa streets in Birm­ing­ham. It is directly across the inter­state from W.C. Pat­ton Park.

“I never thought I’d live to see this day, “said East Birm­ing­ham Neigh­bor­hood Pres­i­dent Ster­ling Fields. “We just thank McWane.”

In addi­tion to the ameni­ties Green­wood pro­vides to the com­mu­nity, the park has a nat­ural stormwater-collection and treat­ment sys­tem lined with native shrubs and grasses. These fea­tures will fil­ter stormwa­ter from nearby sur­faces that pass through the park on the way to Vil­lage Creek.  The park will not only pro­vide recre­ational oppor­tu­ni­ties for nearby res­i­dents but will also improve the water qual­ity of Vil­lage Creek.

At a ribbon-cutting cer­e­mony at Green­wood, Birm­ing­ham Mayor William Bell stressed the impor­tance of hav­ing great parks in the city – a point echoed by Birm­ing­ham city coun­cilors Max­ine Parker and Valerie Abbott. Con­gress­man Spencer Bachus was also on hand for the grand opening.

The new park fits into the Vil­lage Creek Green­way, which is part of the regional Red Rock Ridge and Val­ley Trail Sys­tem. McWane is on the steer­ing com­mit­tee,  Cham­pi­ons for Vil­lage Creek Green­way, an ambi­tious group of busi­ness lead­ers, neigh­bor­hood asso­ci­a­tion pres­i­dents and other non-profits work­ing to develop trails along the creek.

The group’s mis­sion is to engage and edu­cate the com­mu­nity in the devel­op­ment of a series of parks and green­ways along Vil­lage Creek with the goal of improv­ing water qual­ity and the qual­ity of life for the com­mu­nity.

Green­wood Park lines up well with that mission.

“This project is a demon­stra­tion of our con­tin­u­ing com­mit­ment to improv­ing the envi­ron­ment and the health and safety of our team mem­bers and the well­be­ing of our com­mu­ni­ties,” said McWane Pres­i­dent G. Ruffner Page.

This park project is part of the set­tle­ment of an enforce­ment action, United States v. McWane, Inc., taken on behalf of the U.S. Envi­ron­men­tal Pro­tec­tion Agency to enforce fed­eral envi­ron­men­tal laws.  McWane sug­gested that a por­tion of the penal­ties be rein­vested into the com­mu­nity through the con­struc­tion of Green­wood Park.  In a land­mark agree­ment, the EPA and Depart­ment of Jus­tice agreed to McWane’s request, and now, that dream has come to fruition.  This project is a ter­rific exam­ple of a coop­er­a­tive effort to turn past mis­takes into present and future benefits.             

The Fresh­wa­ter Land Trust and Fox 6 WBRC will be at Crest­wood Park Tues., Dec. 4^th , to see the newly ren­o­vated park and walk­ing trail!

This appear­ance is the eigh­teenth, once-a-month “Red Rock Tues­day” seg­ment on Good Day Alabama. We have had great crowds out in Cen­ter Point, Brook­side, Ruffner Moun­tain, Pin­son, Tar­rant, Home­wood, Hoover, Birm­ing­ham, Gar­den­dale, Trussville, Ves­tavia and Clay, Red Moun­tain Park, Mid­field, and Nor­wood. Now it is Crestwood’s turn show every­one their newly ren­o­vated park! We hope to see you in Crest­wood on Tues., Dec. 4!

When: Tues­., Dec. 4
6:40 a.m. — 8:20 a.m. (Main pub­lic appear­ances at 7:20 and 7:50 a.m.)

Where: Crest­wood Park, Crest­wood Boule­vard Birm­ing­ham, Alabama.

Direc­tions: From down­town, take 1st Avenue North toward 23rds Street North, turn right onto 41 Street North, turn left on 3^rd Avenue South con­tinue onto 4^th Avenue South, con­tinue onto Crest­wood Blvd. Turn left onto 54^th Street South.

Please direct ques­tions to valerie.wilson@freshwaterlandtrust.org or call 205.417.2777.