Veterans Park (Hoover)
Veterans Park is a municipal park developed by the city of Hoover and by Shelby County on an 82-acre site adjacent to Spain Park High School. It was formerly known as Hoover/Shelby Park or the Spain Park Sports Complex.
The park has a 5,000 meter cross-country trail, playgrounds and beach volleyball courts. Hoover maintains municipal greenhouses in the park. The site includes one large and two smaller artificial lakes. Plans include construction of barbecue grills and picnic pavilions.
On September 23, 2006 the park's cross-country track was the site of the Great American Cross Country Festival, with 23 individual 5K and 8K races for high school and college athletes.
In 2010 the city launched a 480-square foot "floating island" comprised of recycled plastic and perennial bog plants, designed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the water.
References
- Kent, Dawn (November 7, 2006) "New park on Valleydale named Veterans Park." Birmingham News
- Walton, Val (October 18, 2010) "Island of plastic drink bottles and foam installed as lake feature at Hoover's Veterans Park." Birmingham News