Partin Park Continues to Replant & Rebuild

City of Lyons officials are continuing to work to replant trees and rebuild Partin Park, as the Park received extensive damage during Hurricane Helene in 2024.

During the hurricane, several structures – the Big Green Monster, the Calloway Community Center, and more – were intensely damaged. The City has rebuilt the Big Green Monster – a smaller replica of the famous Green Monster wall at Fenway Park in Boston – with better material, which officials hope will withstand future storms.

Unfortunately, the Calloway Community Center had to be demolished because of the extensive damage. According to City Councilman Ivy Toole, the structure was determined to be unsalvageable months after the hurricane, and because the City could afford to tear down the structure, officials went ahead and completed the task to ensure the safety of park patrons.

“We have been dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for almost two years now, and we are trying to get everything straightened out to rebuild,” he explained. “We are going to rebuild the Callaway Center whenever we get the funding straightened out.”

New bathrooms are also currently being built near the playgrounds at the top of Derby Hill, as the City continues to slowly but surely rebuild and restore the park.

In addition to this, the City has also replanted 180 trees throughout the Park, as Toole stated officials understand the landscape of the Park is one of the unique traits that patrons love. “I know that the trees are what everyone thinks about and loves when they think about the Park. These trees will help to bring that back,” Toole remarked. “We understand that we won’t be around when these trees finally mature, but we are planting seeds for the future – for things that we will never see.”

Toole emphasized that improvements will continue to the Park, as the City understands its importance to the citizens. “When people come to Lyons, they come to this Park. It is the center of the community, and we just want to keep trying to make it the best that we can,” he concluded.

Photo by Makaylee Randolph