The Farmville Town Council voted unanimously to purchase the remaining Wilck’s Lake property for approximately $525,000. Town Manager Gerald Spates said the full purchase price is $551,850 but due to a tax write-off on a portion of the property it will be purchased for the lower price.

“We’re buying the remaining portion that we didn’t own which includes the house, that field area over by the trail that comes out over by West Third (Street) also the little office building and there’s a maintenance shop that the guys got over there,” Spates said. “It’s about 7.7 acres.”

He said the purchased property will become part of the Wilck’s Lake park area.

“We’re getting ready to expand the… children’s playground and we’re looking at putting some other recreational opportunities out there at Wilck’s Lake in addition to what we already have,” Spates said.

He said the property will give the town the opportunity to “put the trail all around the lake so people have the option they can walk around the lake or they go to the sidewalk for a little longer walk.”

The trail has currently led to the road where pedestrians then walk along the sidewalk back to the Wilck’s Lake parking lot. Spates said the town was approached by the Wilck family a while ago.

“We were finally able to work out an equitable arrangement so everybody’s, you know, everybody’s on board with it,” Spates said.

He said the town is paying $125,000 up front and then paying $100,000 at no interest for four years.

“I think it’s going to open up some more recreational opportunities for the Wilck’s Lake area,” Spates said. “What we’ve developed so far out there has worked out very well. We got the library, the skate park, the playground, the trail and, you know, we got some other things planned out there as well.”