Pedestrians walk the trail along Mirror Pond in Drake Park in this file photo from March 2014.

A $6.6 million project to improve trails, beach access and deteriorating sections of the riverbank in and around Drake Park in Bend moved a step closer toward construction with the recent issuance of a federal permit to proceed.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a joint application permit for the Drake Park project on Feb. 9, according to Brian Hudspeth, development manager for Bend Park & Recreation District. The permit is one of several needed by the district before it can break ground.

Drake Park is 13 acres of grassy lawn and trees along Bend’s iconic Mirror Pond. Constructed in 1921, it is one of the city’s oldest parks and features a variety of trees, including ponderosa pine, juniper, and deciduous trees.

Many of the trails in the park are crumbling and lack a cohesive connection to Pacific Park to the north. Both these issues are expected to be fixed with the Drake Park project.

But the project is not without controversy, mainly due to the planned cutting down of more than 30 trees to make way for the eight to 10-foot-wide footpath.

Hudspeth said some trees sit squarely in the way of the path and need to be removed.

“We will try to save every single tree we can,” said Hudspeth. “But there are some in the middle of where the trail has to go and they are going to come out.”

The remaining permits still pending include a “fill permit” that will allow drilling into Mirror Pond to install piles that will support a boardwalk, said Hudspeth.

Upon receipt of the remaining permits for construction, the district plans to start work on the trail in October. Hudspeth is hopeful that the permitting process could be complete this month.