Patricia Tingle of the Bradford and Patricia Family Foundation, left, presents Nancy Tirpak with a Feasibility Study for the construction of the Perry Kaiser Courts in Firestone Park, a $500,000 capital project. (Submitted photo)

COLUMBIANA–During the May meeting of the Columbiana Park Board, Pat Tingle of the Bradford and Patricia Tingle Family Foundation, presented the official Feasibility Study for a nearly 15,000-square-foot court games area to be constructed in Harvey S. Firestone Recreational Park in the city.

The historic park was first opened in the mid-1930s and was made possible by a gift of land and money to his hometown from Firestone. It recently underwent a $10 million renovation commissioned by the Restoration and Beautification Committee of Columbiana, funded by individual, corporate and organization gifts, a city grant and a considerable donation by the Tingle Family Foundation.

The new arena will be named the “Perry Kaiser Courts,” in honor of the well-known longtime park manager who served for over two decades from 1949 to the year 1972, when he retired. It will feature two horseshoe courts, a shuffleboard court, a bocce court, a 20-foot by 20-foot shade structure, park benches and ADA parking.

“This new area will add to the many diverse recreational opportunities in the park,” Tingle said, “and will be a lot of fun for the park’s visitors, especially seniors.”

Currently in the Stage I design phase by the Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Engineering Firm, the roughly $500,000 capital project is being funded by an endowment from the Tingle Family Foundation and is estimated to be completed in early Summer of 2024.

In the coming months, watch local news media, the social media and other channels of communication for progress on this project, and others, as Columbiana’s popular outdoor recreational area continues to be updated and brought back to its former beauty.