HAMLET — The red caboose at Hamlet City Lake will be getting a major makeover earlier than expected thanks to a grant from the Cole Foundation and Community Foundation of Richmond County.
The foundations have approved a $15,000 grant to cover the cost of hydroblasting and sandblasting the exterior, repainting it, repair the rot along the bottom, add a security gate and new fencing, as well as new groundwork around the nearby oak trees.
Without the grants, this phase of the Master Plan for the lake would have had to wait until at least the next fiscal year, and even then likely would not have been funded in their entirety, according City Manager Jonathan Blanton.
“I’m very excited, that caboose has been an eyesore for quite some time,” Blanton said.
These restorations were essential before moving forward with any future projects on the caboose, according to Blanton. The most recent version of the Master Plan, presented in November, included a plan for the caboose to be converted into a reading space and butterfly garden.
As part of the agreement with the foundations, both of which fall under the Foundation of the Carolinas, Hamlet will pay $15,000 — the projected cost of the work — to the contractor that is awarded the bid and then provide receipts to the foundations. They will then reimburse the city.
The gates and fencing are to keep the area free of people who misused the caboose in the past, according to Blanton. It was open for people to walk through and see the inside but over time people started living in it and it became known as a place for lewd activity. Last year the city was forced to board up the windows and put on locks that couldn’t be cut.
Once the gates are installed, no cars will be allowed to enter the parking area, which Blanton said will hopefully cut down on the crime in the area.
Blanton has approved the final draft design portion of the Master Plan, which will include extending the pier to the other side of the lake, a splash pad and playground, and new exercise equipment in the area. The Wooten Company is in the process of completing a cost analysis on the finished design.
“I think it’s really going to be a showpiece for people to check out and that will make people want to visit Hamlet and Richmond County as a whole,” Blanton said.