A new park will be built between the city's new wellness center and the railroad tracks.The city continues to make improvements along 11th Street on and near the site of the old Farmers' Market.
The latest project is grading and greening a sliver of land between the city's new wellness center and nearby railroad tracks.
"What we're going to do is put in a walking trail," said Steve Leach, the city's administrator of Public Works.
He said the walking trail would be an eighth of a mile long and would be constructed from materials on hand. The Public Works Department is doing the work rather than outsourcing the construction.
"It's a minimal, if any, cost to it," said Richard Beeland, spokesman for Mayor Ron Littlefield.
Leach said only city employees who use the wellness center would use the track. Fencing will be placed around the area to make sure the public does not have access.
Southern Norfolk owns the property around the railroad and a deal was reached with the company that city employees could use the space, he said.
The city began building the wellness center last fall. It opened in January with a health clinic, pharmacy and wellness center.
Over the past year, the landscape has changed on the land close to the old market, which is now the Gene Roberts Public Service Compound. A new police station was just built, and the wellness center constructed nearby. Streetscaping also has been done.
A new homeless health care center is under construction.
Contact staff writer Cliff Hightower at chightower@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480. Follow him at twitter.com/cliffhightower or facebook.com/cliff.hightower.