Ribbon cutting event for park tenants, public to take place April 26 at 10 a.m.

Bedford, Virginia— The Bedford County Office of Economic Development, in partnership with the Bedford County Parks and Recreation Department and Economic Development Authority, will hold a ribbon cutting and celebration event on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 10 a.m. for the New London Tech Trails just past the traffic circle at the trail head on Meade Road in the New London Business and Technology Center park in Forest. The trails are a new addition to the park and will help the County attract additional high tech manufacturing and professional service businesses.

Wear your walking shoes and be ready to search for some hidden treasures as we make our way through a portion of one of the trails at the ribbon cutting event. Coffee and donuts will be available for your enjoyment.

As part of the overall trail system in the New London Park, three different trails have been groomed making it a destination for beginner trail runners and cyclists alike. The trails vary in course length, and total 6.5 miles of machine-cut, multi-use trails on 500+ acres. The trails run along the perimeter of the property in the park leaving room for future businesses to build to suit. Building sites are available now with a buffer and range in size from 8-48 acres.

“We’d like to thank the EDA for funding this project and for permitting us the easements to allow access to the property,” said Wyatt Woody, Director of Bedford County Parks and Recreation. “These trails are an important addition to our County trail systems as well as to our community and will be enjoyed for generations to come.”

“We appreciate the County staff and trail volunteers devoting their time and energy to this project,” said Mickey Johnson, EDA Chairman. “Not only will it benefit the entire Bedford County community, but it is an important selling feature for our premier business park. When companies are looking for places to grow, amenities like these trails and the green space in the park are a great asset.”

“The trails are designed for employees located in the business park to have a power lunch hour on smooth rolling terrain with limited trip hazards and clear lines of sight,” said Sean Castle, Parks Trail Technician. “Also with LU’s plans to build its School of Engineering in the park, we know students will enjoy the trails, too.”

The trail head kiosks were constructed and installed this month by Bedford Science and Technology (BSTC) Construction students. The kiosks will feature the trail maps and points of reference for all park visitors and tenants, and will help trail users find their way.

Taste of the Trails Kickoff

Later that week, Parks and Rec will launch their four-event series called Taste of the Trails that will be held at the same location at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 28^th. At that event, biking and walking/running enthusiasts can enjoy a fun, untimed, inaugural, tour of the trails. Visit the Bedford Trails website to learn more.