The addition of another property to the Williams Court Park in Biddeford is a good use of the city-owned land and will hopefully add to the city’s efforts to revitalize and improve the downtown.

Construction on the park began in 2010 when several vacant buildings on the street were purchased by the city, with the help of federal funds, and torn down.

Last year, the city purchased the property at 56 South St. and demolished the home located there, and earlier this year, the city took over the 58 South St. property for non-payment of taxes. That property was owned by Rory Holland, who is serving a life sentence in prison for the murders of local brothers, Derek Greene, 21, and Gage Greene, 19. He shot the brothers in front of his home in the early morning hours of June 30, 2009.

Taking the Holland property and others that were dilapidated eyesores ”“ and likely dangers to the area ”“ to make way for a park was just what the area need. Holland’s home was a constant reminder to those who lived in the neighborhood and those who were friends or family of the Greene brothers of what took place there.

Now, the neighborhood has a nice, green space for children to play and adults to congregate and chat. Improvements like parks also give people a reason to be proud of their neighborhoods, and take the time to keep their property looking better as well.

Biddeford now has nine parks, and with its adopt-a-park program, these open spaces are great places for locals to utilize and enjoy. Some ”“ like Williams Court Park ”“ even feature pieces of art created by local artists.

A bronze lantern that was created for the park incorporates a sculpture of entwined hands, which holds the lamp. Two of the hands featured in the bronze statue are members of the Greene family, Chandler and Devin, brothers of the late Gage and Derek Greene.

The hand of Cecile Parent, who raised her family and lost a daughter in the neighborhood, is also among those in the sculpture, along with the hand of another of her children, Diane Dutremble. A granite bench at the park, made possible by the Parent family and Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, honors Cecile and Donatien Parent, both of whom died, and their 14-year-old daughter, Donna. The young girl died in 1981 after fainting as she was running home from a baby-sitting job, when she fell face down beside the curb. Cecile died the month before the lantern and bench were unveiled.

The design, engineering and construction of additional park space at the park are eligible activities for Community Development Block Grant funds, according to the city’s Community Development Coordinator Linda Waters. The grants are federal dollars allocated to the city from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

If the city is able to secure a grant, those funds could be used to further enhance Williams Court Park and allow for more community members to use the space, Waters said.

It’s encouraging to see city officials continually making efforts to improve the city and utilize grants and federal funds to make those improvements a reality.

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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham Rousseau on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.