Electric, water and sewer upgrades have been completed at the 25 original campsites that make up the front loop of the Old Greenville Recreation Area.
A contractor can now come in and begin widening the campsite pads, as $1 million in repairs and upgrades continue.
No completion date has been set for the popular Wappapello Lake camping area, which is undergoing its first major renovation since opening in the 1980s.
The day use area, boat ramp and bike trail to the city of Greenville remain open to the public, said project manager Cindy Jackson.
Work to upgrade utilities is just beginning at two additional loops, which will also need campsite pads widened and road improvements, she said.
The campsites closed one year ago, when a Memorial Day weekend windstorm brought down more than 100 trees.
A $500,000 project to upgrade the site was planned to occur in stages until the storm hit, park rangers said at the time. It was expanded to cover damage repair and now includes clean up and repairs to the Memory Lane walking path that follows the old city streets of the former town.
"I think we're making as good of progress as we can and it's going to be the best campground in the state of Missouri when we're done," said Jackson, adding, "Some people will argue with me and say it was already the best and there's truth to that too. Where else are you going to camp along old city streets?"
The project has faced some delays, but staff and contractors are working as quickly as they can, according to Jackson.
Crews had to pull equipment out twice this spring because of the threat of flooding as lake levels rose. There have also been two government shut downs in the past year that stopped work.
Digging was slow in the front loop because of the historical significance of the area, Jackson said. Work had to be evaluated by archeologists and any potentially important items had to be documented, she said.
Digging is expected to go more quickly in the two loops that are not part of the old town.
Water and sewer is being added to all 111 campsites in the recreation area. Electric is being upgraded from 30 amps to 50 amps. Pads are also being expanded from 8 feet to 12 feet.
Much of this work accommodates new RV camping.
Electric is being brought in a different way, to allow for changes made to the entrance road since the lines were originally placed, Jackson said. A new transformer has also been installed to serve the higher electric use at the campground.
Rules regarding timber have placed other constraints on the work, Jackson said. Because of the invasive emerald ash borer, which kills ash trees, all timber has to be burned on site. To protect bat populations, other trees can only be removed at certain times of year, Jackson added.
An erosion issue above the cemetery at the Greenville recreation area will also need to be addressed before work is completed.
Park rangers are additionally working around other duties throughout the lake area, she said. Beaches were opened and repairs have to be done at other recreation sites, Jackson continued.
"As high a priority as Greenville is, we've also got to keep what we have open too," Jackson said.