The city of Columbia has paused the decision to rename a basketball court at Douglass Park following an outcry from the community.
Renovations to the park on Providence Road were set to begin last week, and an announcement from Columbia Parks and Recreation was met with opposition.
The renovations include relocating the new small park shelter, putting in new goals, adding LED lighting — and custom sport court surfacing to honor the late Mizzou women's basketball coach Willie Cox.
Community advocates with strong ties to the park say Cox has no connection to the area.
Anthony Johnson has lived in Columbia his whole life and spent countless hours at Douglass Park growing up. When he saw the announcement from Parks and Recreation, he said it was his first time hearing of the renovations.
"I think it was probably a whole 24 hours after I first originally saw it that I was like, 'That's not right,' and it just wasn't sitting well with me," Johnson said.
Johnson grew up going to the park and said he felt the renovations did not pay homage to the park's history and place in the community.
Johnson pointed to Scotty Williams and Rufus Doc Broadus, who worked for Columbia Community Recreation and played a big role in the programs the park had at the time.
"They were father figures and positive male figures for not just me, for a lot of men for a lot of generations of this community that needed them, and I think that's why so many people are a little upset about this," Johnson said.
The two men played an important role in Moonlight Hoops, a basketball program that started in the late '80s and ended due to COVID-19 in 2020. It was an opportunity for at-risk kids in the community to have somewhere to go and be part of something, Williams said.
"Moonlight Hoops means a lot to the community and to a lot of guys," Williams said. "I've seen hundreds of kids come through there."
Williams and Broadus said they are glad to see the renovations to Douglass Park but that they would like the renovations to pay homage to Moonlight Hoops and the people who worked at the park.
The renovation project has been in the works for years, with City Council approving a grant in June 2023 but talks of improvements dating as far back as 2020, according to past KOMU 8 reporting.
During the Columbia City Council meeting Monday, eight community members spoke out about wanting more say in city renovations.
The city held a public hearing on the park renovations in September 2023, and no one from the public came. KOMU 8 spoke to people at the park on the day of the hearing, and while many had comments, none attended the meeting, according to past reporting.
Parks and Recreation said it is working to develop a plan for community engagement moving forward.
The department will first discuss the community feedback with the project donors. The University of Missouri and Veterans United Foundation are partially funding the project.
Construction is set to start on the courts soon, but no date is set, Parks and Recreation spokesperson Tammy Miller said.
