COAL GROVE — The Village of Coal Grove will be getting a bit more public space.

It recently got a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to turn a piece of land into a little park.

“That grant came through the CAO and the county commissioners,” said Mayor Andy Holmes. “We were awarded $135,000 to spend at the four-way stop for beautification.”

The future park site is at the corner of Lane Street and Marion Pike. A couple of years ago, the village bought the land for $20,000 and razed the dilapidated house.

Holmes said the scope of the project includes a gazebo, decorative fencing and some concrete sidewalks.

“It’s going to be a picturesque little spot, we are calling it a pocket park,” Holmes said. “The idea is that teenagers and kids can come there and get their pictures taken before a dance.”

He added that the park will also honor the village’s veterans.

The war monument that sits at the old Monitor School is being donated by the owner, Mike Finley, who is also a county commissioner.

“He has agreed to donate that stone and war memorial back to the village,” Holmes said. “It’s almost 100 years old. That monument was erected for a reason and we want to honor that.”

He said the project is being handled by the CAO and the bid was won by Hemmings Construction. He doesn’t expect work to really get underway until spring.

“We have been consulting with them and sharing our ideas on how we want it to look,” Holmes said. “The work hasn’t started yet, but it should start soon. Since there is a lot of concrete work involved, we have to wait for better weather. And we want to work out all the details and make sure we get the most bang for our buck.”