The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen have hired a Jackson architect firm to prepare designs for a proposed park on county-owned property on Washington Street near the Klondyke.

The board at its Monday meeting approved an agreement with Wier Boerner Allin Architecture not to exceed $3,200 to prepare a site plan, renderings and an estimate for the project, which Mayor George Flaggs Jr. has indicated he wants to present to the Warren County Board of Supervisors sometime in the future.

The mayor has mentioned the possibility of developing the Washington Street property as part of the city’s riverfront development project to improve the area.

The plan also includes projects by the riverboat lines visiting Vicksburg to landscape their landing sites as part of a lease agreement with the city.

Flaggs said he plans to use some of the $3.5 million allocation from the state to develop the city’s waterfront and the park.

“We believe it is the ideal location for picnic tables and barbeque grills,” he said.

Flaggs said after the meeting he did not know if the county would let the city have the property.

“I’m not sure of anything but I want to suggest the idea to them; they’re not using it,” he said. “Once we get the preliminary drawings, I’m going to go to them and ask them if we can have it for that reason (a park). I think you should show them what you want to do with it before you ask them.”

Flaggs said he would ask to attend a Warren County Board of Supervisors work session to discuss the park once he received the plans.

“I think once you elevate it for floods it will make a great sitting area with a family atmosphere,” he said. “We don’t want to buy it; we want an easement to use to build on it. We’ll maintain it if they don’t want to maintain it.”