Lehighton plans to commemorate its refurbished downtown park the day before it heralds its Sesquicentennial celebration.

A dedication ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the Col. Jacob Weiss Park, according to borough Manager Nicole Beckett."After many years of planning, it is wonderful to see the Col. Jacob Weiss Park rehabilitated," Beckett said. "We are receiving positive feedback from the community on the updates to the park."Beckett said work that has been completed at the park includes new curbing and sidewalks, stormwater improvements, pavers, landscaping, lighting and the cleaning of the Col. Jacob Weiss statue.In addition, Beckett said Lehighton Downtown Initiative pavers have been placed around the fountain.Also, two concrete medallions - a compass at the upper part of the park, and a Lehighton medallion at the lower part of the park - have been installed to signify that 1788 is the year Weiss and William Henry created the plot for "town square," while 1866 is the incorporation date of the borough."Col. Jacob Weiss and William Henry had laid out the land the park is on as Town Square," she said. "Two hundred twenty-eight years later, it serves as the town square and heart of our community."Work that still needs to be finished includes the installation of decorative park benches and trash receptacles, sealer on the pavers, spheres to be placed at the statue, and the installation of an interpretive panel, Beckett said."I am looking forward to continued progress in the borough, and hope our residents and visitors enjoy the beauty of the park," she said. "The updates to the park are a great addition to the future of the downtown."The project contractor is Kobalt Construction Inc., Swiftwater, who was awarded the contract by borough council in February in the amount of $586,295. The bid included a base of $492,795, with $68,500 for pavers and $25,000 for landscaping.Beckett said the borough's Light & Power Department installed the park lighting at a cost of $48,477 as part of the grant match.Two grants were received by the borough for the project: $250,000 from the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program, and $245,000 from the Department of Community and Economic Development Multimodal Grant Program.The borough's 150th celebration is set to take place this Saturday through July 2.