By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
For a community with more than 150 years of history, many see Brookville as not an old, dusty town but a piece of the Kansas timeline and home to generations of families.
In 2021, about a dozen community members teamed up and began the Brookville Community Foundation, or BCF, to continue the tiny town's legacy.
"A few of the community members got together and saw a need for the community to start doing things for itself and making some improvements," said BCF Board President Jessica Kindlesparger. "I think, honestly, the community is so devoted to staying."
The community-led coalition also organized with the Greater Salina Community Foundation, utilizing many of their resources to start the group.
BCF has already spent almost $250,000 through new welcome signs, community clean-ups and the Ell-Saline Football Scoreboard.
The next project's first phase would more than double the foundation's impact on the community.
The Brookville Park Project
Situated on West Old Highway 40, also known as Noble Street, the Rose Walter Park greets many Brookville visitors on their way into town.
According to Kindlesparger, BCF worked with the City of Brookville to require the property from Union Pacific Railroad last year, and preparations for the project immediately began.
Due to the project's large scale, Kindlesparger said the board decided to split the project into three phases, with phase one starting with swathing improvements to the restrooms and current park equipment.
BCF Vice President Jenni Jones said the board did not want to start the project without input from the community first.
"We formed a small park committee where several moms that have children of all ages — college, high school, middle age, and then very young — gave us their input, and we took that back and decided exactly what we wanted," Jones said.
The committee first reviewed the park's current furnishings and quickly identified the absence of critical aspects for a community space.
The committee first reviewed the park's current furnishings and quickly found critical absences for a community space, like no safety barrier, restrooms, or adequate lighting.
Kindlesparger said most of these issues stem from a lack of upgrades for nearly a decade and the ownership of the park grounds.
"That park is just in dire need of an update. We have some real safety and accessibility issues," Kindlesparger said. "There was some equipment donated probably 10 years ago, which is wonderful, and we want to continue to use that equipment, but we really need to update."
After identifying the upgrades for the park, the cost climbed to $255,000 to include the new construction and equipment.
Phase one of the Brookville Park Project includes new ADA-compliant restrooms, inclusive preschool play equipment, new swings, improvements for the basketball court, sidewalks, street lights and a safety fence between the park and the highway.
The second phase plans a future splash pad in the park, and the third would construct a large community center for residents to use. BCF will determine the cost of these subsequent phases after completing the first.
"We're fundraising," Kindlesparger said. "We're applying for grants right now. Plans have been drawn, and we've got architectural renderings."
Currently, BCF has raised $50,000 for the project as a match for the first $50,000 to the project. Community members who want to donate to the project can purchase a memorial brick or make donations to BCF directly by visiting its Facebook page online.