Tuscaloosa County Seeks Grant To Improve Van De Graaff Park

Officials in Tuscaloosa County are seeking a state grant to add electricity, bathrooms with showers and more to Van de Graaff Park, a hidden gem just north of the river.

The space is operated by the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority, which is collaborating with the county commission to pursue funding available from Innovate Alabama, an entrepreneurship initiative launched by Governor Kay Ivey a few years ago.

A core focus for Innovate Alabama is enhancing the state’s outdoor recreation industry, which reportedly supports over 65,000 jobs in the state.

With that in mind, the County Commission is applying for a grant worth just under $700,000 to add major improvements to Van de Graaff Park.

For the unfamiliar, the nature park is a serene and swampy getaway across the road from the Tuscaloosa National Airport. About a quarter of the 141-acre property consists of open freshwater ponds fed by Mill Creek, which meanders on to feed into the Black Warrior River.

The wetlands there provide access to swamps, marshes, and bogs. The ponds, often covered by lily pads, are home to bass and other fish species and even an alligator or two. Despite being extremely close to downtown Tuscaloosa and Northport alike, Van de Graaff Park can feel worlds away because of the rarity of its ecosystem in the area.

It offers hiking, RV and primitive camping, fishing and more.

PARA’s Adrian Cleckler said the Innovate Alabama Grant is a competitive one. Still, if awarded to Tuscaloosa County, it could significantly enhance the nature park and hopefully attract more locals and visitors to its wonders.

The County is seeking to run electric lines underground, providing power to 10 existing RV camper sites and three additional spots that will be added if the grant is approved. The funds would also add a new septic system connected to a restroom and shower building proposed in the grant application.

The $695,540 grant would also add new planking to one of the park’s most notable features – a single span of the 1882 King Bowstring Bridge, which once crossed the Black Warrior River.

Cleckler said these additions and improvements have been hoped for since shortly after the park first opened in 2014 and this Innovate Alabama grant may be exactly the funding mechanism PARA and the county commission have been seeking.

The grant money would also be used to fund new signage directing people to Van de Graaff and to route electricity to new security lighting on the existing pavilion.

Cleckler said everyone at PARA is hoping the grant gets awarded and these major improvements can be made to the nature park, which is a hidden gem in PARA’s inventory. Award-winning proposals are expected to be named in January.

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