rendering of the McEwen barn after northern portion has been removedThe second phase of the Grant Park McEwen entrance improvement project is slated to begin in April. The updated park entrance is designed to create an arrival experience that draws visitors into the park — from the new Rotary memorial trailhead to the miles of trails across the 222-acre nature park. This phase of the project will focus on the McEwen Barn, which is actually two barn structures joined together, and the creation of a picnic area for the community to enjoy.

In January 2020, Barge Design Solutions (BDS) conducted an architectural assessment of the barns, which are currently used for storage. At that time, BDS recommended some improvements to the original Pennsylvania Dutch-style bank barn built in the late nineteenth century (depicted in the above rendering). Additionally, BDS recommended the removal of the newer northern portion of the barn. This recommendation was based on this portion of the barn’s state of disrepair.

Based on the BDS recommendation, consultation with Centerville-Washington History, and public input during the Grant Park Master Planning process, work in April will focus on removing the northern portion of the barn and preserving the historic Pennsylvania Dutch-style bank barn.

In place of the northern portion of the barn, there will be a new picnic area overlooking the park meadow. We expect it to be ready for public use in summer 2023!

The park will remain open during construction.

The first phase of the Grant Park McEwen entrance improvement project included an all-access Rotary memorial trailhead and a paved multi-use path surrounding a 4-acre pollinator habitat. A new parking lot provides double the parking while improving traffic flow, ADA access and pedestrian safety. The first phase was completed in December 2022.

These park improvements are part of the Grant Park Master Plan, which was completed with community input in 2020.

Media inquiries? Please contact Carrie Dittman, Marketing & Communications Supervisor at 937-433-5155.

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