Willoughby recently received a $3 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the Osborne Park project. According to Mayor Robert Fiala, the request for proposals for the project, as well as the new Willoughby Police Department station, were submitted to the city by the end of December. The city hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Osborne Park project, marking the first phase of the city’s re-imagination of the park. A $2 million state grant that was secured through the efforts of state Sen. Jerry Cirino and support from Rep. Dan Troy marked the beginning of the project, aimed at preserving Willoughby’s shoreline. Willoughby recently received a $3 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the Osborne Park project. (Marah Morrison — The News-Herald) The grant represents two-thirds of the funding Willoughby needs for phase one of the project, Fiala said. The project will include two small beaches where visitors will be able to wade into the water, as well as a series of sunset steps that are going to have large, grassy areas where people can picnic and watch the sunset to the west. Additionally, there will be amenities above the beaches. Meanwhile, the city is moving forward with the design of the new police station alongside Bowen and Associates, the city’s consultant. “Our team is meeting regularly and the schematic design is now complete, which includes plan layouts, furniture selections and finishes,” Fiala said. The schematic design drawings were presented to City Council last June. Toward the end of July, bidding documents, which included plans, specifications and budgets, were released. “We are especially excited about our state-of-the-art jail and dispatch center that will see some of the most advanced technology, and dispatch equipment installed,” Fiala said.