BATON ROUGE — BREC is moving forward with plans to sell Belfair Park, but a church in Baton Rouge is trying to stop it.

Pastor William Johnson of Kingdom Well Church says the park is important to the community and they want to work out a deal with BREC to manage the park and keep it open for the public.

"This is a staple here in the community, in the Belfair community," Johnson said. 

Johnson has been the pastor at Kingdom Well for three years. The church sits next door to the park on Fairfields Avenue.

"We can offer people, we can offer programs, we can offer things to help keep this park alive," Johnson said.

A cooperative endeavor would allow the church to manage the park while keeping it open for public use. 

"We don't have a playground at our church, like I know that there are some churches that have playgrounds and things, where we can do a cook-out, Easter egg hunt we can use this space," Johnson said.

Belfair Park is not the only park for sale. Several other community parks in north Baton Rouge are also on the chopping block.

Johnson and church members went before the BREC Commission Thursday night asking for the partnership.

"We are prepared to to immediately implement and sustain programming within the parks building and grounds. Auctioning Belfair park may provide a short term financial return, but it comes at a permanent cost," Johnson said.

The BREC Commission voted to move forward with the process of selling Belfair Park. Commissioners say it does not stop BREC from entering into partnerships with the community for the park.

"It's great to hear the community come out and sponsor and step up and say hey we want to do something. I think we need to lean into what the community wants. Nobody knows the community better than the community," BREC Commissioner Lon Vicknair said. 

Johnson says he plans to meet with the BREC Commission within the next few weeks.

BREC is holding community meetings for people to share their concerns about park closures next week.

Meeting one will address Wenonah and Belfair parks, it's scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 at Howell Park from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Meeting two will address Fortune Addition, Alexander Street, Dover, Lanier Drive, Cortana Place, and Blueberry Street parks, it's scheduled for Thursday, April 2 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.