Orange celebrates rebirth of Cove neighborhood

Annette Payne lives in the Cove neighborhood of Orange and went to the old Cove school there. For years, she watched as the abandoned, sprawling school buildings deteriorated with broken windows.

But that decay is gone and Monday, she helped the city of Orange and local industries celebrate the rebirth of neighborhood with a sprawling park and recreation area on the land where the school once stood.

"We had a lot of people here that went to school here, that still live here, like myself. It's really exciting to know that they have things that people are going to be able to come and play on."

She said the area is a representation of the old school and will preserve its memory.

The city of Orange a few years ago bought the falling-down school campus and then paid to have it demolished. The land was cleared and playground equipment was installed. More amenities are planned, including a walking trail.

The city on Monday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Cove Recreation Area along DuPont Drive.

Dow Chemical, which obtained the DuPont company and DuPont Sabine River Works, a few years ago, has helped in the development of the new parkland with grants. The park includes a covered kiosk with the history of the petrochemical industry in Orange with DuPont as the first to locate here.

Christina Babcock with Dow said the company has been working with the city, particularly Grants Director Rita Monson and City Planning Director Kelvin Knauf on the park development plans.

"We've just been excited to help them push this forward," Babcock said.

The Cove neighborhood is one of the oldest in Orange County. It lies south of the crescent of the Sabine River that wonders through downtown Orange. The area is between the straight part of the river south of the Port of Orange and between Adams Bayou. At one time, it even had its own school district, which consolidated with the West Orange district in the early 1960s.

Some residents of the Cove, though, have felt like the ugly stepchild of the city when it comes to development. But in recent years, the city has worked to improve the neighborhood and used grant money to demolish old buildings that had become eyesores and health hazards.

In addition, the city has given economic development grants to new businesses, including Tarver Performance Marine and the Cove Marina, both along Adams Bayou. New houses are being built and old ones are being restored.

Orange City Councilor Mary McKenna represents the Cove in her District 3. "Cove is a wonderful place, " she said.

She attributed the improvements, including the new recreation area to "lots of people partnering" with the city to make the neighborhood a better place to live.

Even though the Cove Recreation Area is in a neighborhood, it is for all the community. It will also have a walking path on the south side of the city, several miles away from the Northway Park walking trail north of Interstate 10.