The children of Scioto Meadows must summon all their patience as they wait for a new park in their subdivision, said a resident.

Grove City will build and likely maintain a roughly 1.5-acre park for the subdivision at the northeast corner of the intersection of state routes 104 and 665.

Dave McCoy, a board member of the subdivision's homeowners association, said residents are eager to have a park.

"It was all very exciting. The kids were just flipping out," McCoy said. "It's a great thing for the community. Hopefully, it will raise the property values."

McCoy said land slated for the park is owned by the homeowners association. He said, however, that once the park is built, the land might be deeded to the city. That way, the city will be responsible for the park's upkeep.

Kim Conrad, the city parks and recreation director, said the park will have half a basketball court, a playground, trees, benches, a tot lot and a shelter house.

She said the park's equipment is ordered and city crews will start putting the park together before winter. It should be completed by spring, she added.

McCoy said his children ask him frequently when the park will be done.

"They want to have it yesterday," he said.

He said homeowners association board members have discussed several times the possibility of building a park on their own, but finances have been insufficient.

"It's like, 'Wow, I never even thought about an opportunity through the city,'" he said.

City council members approved an ordinance Oct. 19 to appropriate $96,497 to build the park.

Conrad said acquiring the funds for the park has been the most difficult part of the project.

At-large councilman Michael Uhrin took care of the hard part.

"He really took the initiative in wanting to locate the financing," she said.

The park project was on the capital improvement projects wish list, but Uhrin took the leadership to make it reality, Conrad said.

Uhrin failed to respond to several phone calls by deadline.

According to city estimates and 2000 Census information, about 930 people live at the Scioto Meadows subdivision.