(Lawrenceville, Ga., July 20, 2018) –The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract that will allow Graves Park in west Gwinnett to offer features to help patrons beat the heat and engage in some pickup soccer.

Gwinnett commissioners awarded a $2.082 million contract with Tri Scapes Inc. to build a new interactive fountain for kids’ play and a 1.2-mile unpaved loop trail with two wood bridges that connect to existing trails at the park. Amenities will also include a specially treated, soil-based soccer field, the first of its kind in Gwinnett’s park system, plus landscaping and irrigation in other parts of the park. The Community Development Block Grant program is contributing about $296,000 of the cost.

Commissioner Lynette Howard said it’s exciting to be able to bring different activities for this area of the county that has needed recreational opportunities.

“These additions help fill out some of the activities offered at Graves Park,” she said. “This is an area with a lot of diversity, and parks create opportunities for people from all over the world to come and relax and play together. Parks build community.”

A groundbreaking ceremony will be hosted at the site on Tuesday, Aug. 14 at 9:30 a.m. Graves Park is located at 1540 Graves Road in Norcross. The park improvements are expected to be complete by summer 2019.

More information about Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation can be found at www.gwinnettparks.com.