Cottage Grove residents in Oregon gather for "Eugene Symphony in the Park" in 2019. Cottage Grove received federal funding to improve the park and boost local tourism.
Amanda Smith Photography/Courtesy of Eugene Symphony
Cottage Grove, a Lane County town of roughly 10,600 residents, was recently awarded a $1.1 million grant from the federal government to enhance the city’s Bohemia Park. The grounds host several city events and officials hope the funding can help boost local tourism. Faye Stewart is the public works & development director for the city. He’s also the president of the foundation that supports the park. Before the park’s existence, the location stood vacant for years.
“And the dream was to restore its prominence and turn it into the community living room where people gathered and spent time with each other and enjoyed the asset,” he said.
Cottage Grove also received an additional $5 million in federal funding to revitalize its historic downtown district. The projects are funded under the American Rescue Plan.
Stewart discussed the funding on OPB’s “Think Out Loud” with host Dave Miller. Listen to the entire conversation: