In 2020, Earlville for Earlville and the Partnership for Community Development (PCD) worked with a Cornell DesignConnect team on redesigning the park on Fayette St. The student team distributed a survey to the community to learn about the main concerns and priorities for the park. The survey showed that fixing the skate park and playground were the community’s highest priorities. The final design concept included an expanded playground, a new skate park, and a walking trail around the edge of the property. We decided to focus first on redesigning the playground and skate park. In 2021, we hired a consultant who worked with E4E and the Earlville community to refine the intial concept into a design for creative, welcoming space for children, teens, and adults alike.

In the fall of 2021, we held two community open houses at The Bell Tree to gather feedback on our proposed designs. At the first open house, attendees were asked to fill out a survey as they made their way around several stations showing different potential designs for the new park. At the second, attendees gave feedback on a single draft design. E4E members had many productive conversations with community members who discussed their ideas with us and expressed excitement that a community space like this could exist in Earlville. The final design included all the elements of the existing park, re-imagined into new forms, including a skate park with an added pump track, an expanded playground with a mix of play structures and natural play spaces, and shaded patios and a garden walkway for adults.

In 2024, the site of the former Earlville school adjacent to the park was purchased by Christopher Community, Inc., a developer specializing in affordable family and senior housing. After evaluating the site, CCI decided to rehabilitate the old school building into 45 units of affordable senior housing. This proposal is incredibly exciting, since Earlville and the surrounding areas are facing a severe shortage of senior housing for residents who want to downsize while remaining in their community. The Fayette Park Manor project also gives us a further opportunity to re-imagine the park space again, this time as a multi-generational gathering space. We again worked with PCD to help us design a space that will keep the valuable playground and skate park features, and also incorporate our priorities for multi-generational recreation, including a short walking trail, fitness equipment, court games, and small outdoor performance space.

We have been working with PCD and the Village of Earlville to secure state grant funding for this project.