AN UPDATE FROM MOUNT PLEASANT CITY MANAGER – ED THATCHER

NEW PILGRIMS COMMUNITY CENTER & CORTNEZ CEMETERY IMPROVEMENTS

We are pleased to announce that soon we will see dirt flying for the new Pilgrims Community Center at Oaklawn Park.

This will be a city facility, made possible through Pilgrims’ donation of $1.45 million through its Hometown Strong program, created to give back to the communities in which the company operates and its employees live.

That made Oaklawn Park an ideal location for the new Community Center, as this neighborhood has supported Pilgrims throughout the years, and many employees have lived there and raised their families there, leaving a rich and lasting legacy.

The Community Center will accommodate multiple activities at the same time in the beautiful park setting. To ensure plentiful space, the Council approved the investment of an additional $980,000 by the City, for a total of $2.43 million.

The facility was designed by Godwin Design of Hughes Springs, Texas, and Watson Commercial Construction of Tyler was selected in July 2021 through the City’s bidding process.

Steel has been ordered and should arrive in February. Once the steel and other materials are on the ground, the construction timeline from start to completion will be 18 months, weather dependent.

That puts the opening date in the Summer of 2023!

This project is a great investment in our city and its people, and we will soon share an invitation to the Groundbreaking, and you can also be assured that Pilgrims and the City will host a celebration once the Community Center opens in 2023.

CORTNEZ CEMETARY UPDATE

Another investment in our community approved by City Council is a new pavilion in the Cortnez Cemetery that will provide citizens the ability to hold grave side services during inclement weather.

The pavilion was designed by Glen Calvert, P.E., of Mount Pleasant, and the budgeted investment is $100,000. This project is currently out for bid, and the steel has been ordered.

We hope to begin construction in February. Once started, the pavilion should be completed within 8 months, which would be this Fall.

As you can see, we have much to look forward to in 2022. It is an honor to serve you and our City Councilmembers, who are volunteer servants working very hard on behalf of our great city. Please contact me anytime at ethatcher@mpcity.net or 903-575-4000.

Happy New Year!

Ed Thatcher,
City Manager, City of Mount Pleasant