Overbrook ? Construction will begin soon on the first phase of a park project that will include a pavilion and an area for memorials.

The park, which has been in the planning stages for several months, now will include athletic fields, a children’s fishing pond and playground, picnic and restroom facilities, a concession stand, lighting and roads.

Improvements also will be made to the historic Hylton House complex, including a city museum.

The cost of the project is $286,509 and will be financed with grants and matching funds.

“This is a huge project,” said Beth Pankratz, who is on the Overbrook PRIDE Park Committee. “We’re so excited about it because Overbrook is the only town of any size in the county that doesn’t have park facilities.”

Overbrook, an Osage County town of about 970 people, is about 25 miles southwest of Lawrence on U.S. Highway 56.

A dedication ceremony is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at the site where the pavilion will be built at Overbrook City Lake. The keynote speaker will be Overbrook native Brig. Gen. Deborah Rose of the Kansas National Guard.

Before the 2 p.m. dedication ceremony, a barbecue lunch will be available ($6 for adults, $3 for children). Music and other activities also are planned.

The start of the pavilion construction has been delayed because of recent rains.

Construction of the pavilion is expected to be complete by July 4. The remainder of the projects will follow, although no completion date for the entire project has been set.

PRIDE and the Overbrook Athletic Association are paying half of the project’s cost with the other half being paid for with a grant from W.S. and E.C. Jones Trust, a regional trust noted for park funding.

“This will draw people from other towns as well,” Pankratz said of the project. “It’s going to be very important for families.”