A vacant lot in the northeastern part of Swift Current was recently gifted to the City and part of it may become a park.

Swift Current city council officially accepted the 8.2-acre lot, located behind Sport Chek, with no conditions attached from J & P Bardahl Investments Ltd. during a council meeting on June 28.

"The owner, Mr. Bardahl, he'd like to see a park there," Swift Current Mayor Al Bridal said. "His intention was to donate that piece of property to the city to make another park up there."

This wasn't the first time John Bardahl attempted to gift the property that was appraised at north of $1.5 million to the City.

"While dealing with the city over that last few years we tried to gift the City some property for a park for the NE," he said in an email. "They claimed they had no money for a park and refused our gift of all the land... We wanted to give to the citizens of the City as a park."

Constructing a park on the lot may be a tough proposition for the City, however, as the lot according to Bridal needs at least three feet of fill added to it, to get it above the 1:500 year flood zone.

"It may not be in the City's best interest to make a park but we may make a park," Bridal said. "In the future, we can use that land however the City deems fit. It may be a park, we may put 3-feet in there and develop it into commercial, we could even do residential. It could be another City facility or building."

As part of the agreement between the City and J & P Bardahl Investments Ltd., the latter will receive a charitable receipt annually for the next five years in the amount of $200,000.