YOUNGSTOWN — Improvement work to Lynn Park, the topic of debate and an eventual compromise, is underway thanks to funding set aside from the city’s American Rescue Plan and will remain closed until about June.

The city board of control on Oct. 10 hired Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Co. of Youngstown for $739,411 for the Lynn Park project.

At an Oct. 2 city council meeting, Councilwoman Amber White, I-7th Ward, said her constituents who live near the park objected to a half basketball court being converted into a full court. The full court was to be placed right behind residents on Meadowbrook Avenue.

During the council meeting, Clemate Franklin, the parks and recreation director, said the full court wasn’t welcomed in the neighborhood, based on some comments on Facebook, because older white residents didn’t want black people there.

He also said there were racist remarks on Facebook about the situation as “it brings the wrong crowd,” to the park and that he’s heard references to Ipe Field, which is also in White’s ward, as “ape field” if blacks were there.

In response, White said, “Your ignorance shows your mentality,” and the comments didn’t reflect those in her ward.

During that meeting, Basia Adamczak, the former 7th Ward councilwoman, read comments below White’s Facebook post on the park that if a full court was put in, “your lives are going to be in danger.”

White voted to let the board of control award the Lynn Park proposal because Mayor Jamael Tito Brown agreed to visit the location on the city’s southeast side and see if the full basketball court was a good fit.

Brown and members of his administration visited the park shortly after the council meeting and agreed to upgrade the half court and not put in a full court because of its proximity to those living on Meadowbrook Avenue.

Other improvements to Lynn Park include new pickleball courts and playground equipment, and work to the walking trail.

Of the $82,775,370 the city received from the federal ARP program, $10,649,903 is directly allocated for upgrades to city parks. Also, more than $2 million from city council’s $14 million allocation — each of the seven members got $2 million for their wards — was set aside for park improvements.