Bradley County Commission members were approached Monday about the possibility of providing the final $100,000 needed to create the proposed Taylor Spring Park.

Cleveland businessman Allan Jones said the park has taken over 30 years to come to fruition.

“Cleveland used to be called ‘Taylor’s Place’ and there was a man named Taylor who had a house over where the old post office was,” Jones said. “Behind his house was a spring.”

He recalled the Ocoee Purchase of 1836, when citizens were able to move into the area.

“Andrew Taylor started selling land to different individuals and it came down to where the county seat was going to be,” Jones said. “This area was chosen by one vote, because water was more important than the railroad.”

The spring was eventually uncovered in the basement of attorney Jim Webb’s office building, which Webb donated to the city for the purpose of being the city attorney’s office.

“The city did nothing with it, so Webb called me and said he wanted to give it to my foundation,” Jones said. “I told him I would get this done for him. I will not accept it for my foundation. I would convince the city to do what they are supposed to do anyway.”

Jones said it will take $280,000 to finish the project, noting the city has already committed to $180,000, making the total from the city $400,000.

“We want to ask you guys for $100,000 for this park,” he said. “I want you to consider this is the center of Cleveland. It’s what made Cleveland, Tennessee. It was something we forgot about. It was gone, underneath a building.”

Chairman Louie Alford asked if that amount could be paid over a period of a few years, to which Jones said there would be a way to make that happen.

Alford has assigned the request to the Finance Committee.