After the community meeting where we received a verbal go-ahead for this project to continue, we began on a very ambitious project that, without the extreme enthusiasm of a few friends, we probably would never have started. It was decided that we should adapt a well suited egg-shaped cul-de-sac island into a swimming pool style bowl. This project started in mid March and was not completed until mid July. We will do more detailed posts on this process later.
There were easily over a hundred people that contributed to the bowl and even more who donated to help fund it. We received funding from Pabst Blue Ribbon, which paid for most of the concrete costs. The cost of the pool coping ($1,700) was paid for through small in person cash donations or online donations to our Paypal.
This project received a huge boost when we won a $6,000 Rocket Grant, which is an arts funding program started by the Charlotte Street Foundation and the KU Spencer Museum of Art, with funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This award is funding the current round of construction of the park, the expansion of the park around the bowl.
This construction is 100% volunteer dependent and aimed at facilitating a way for people to learn this skill at no cost to themselves, while helping build a public park that is open to everyone at no charge.
We will post details of the builds and other project updates later on. Until then, come down to 401 Harrison St in Kansas City, MO to visit this project.
