A splash pad, eight pickleball courts, restrooms, an area for grilling, a wooded trail, greenspace and playground equipment are all part of what is now the largest park in Bargersville.
Although Kephart Park, a six-acre, $3.5 million project opened in July, town officials and community members gathered there Tuesday for an official ribbon cutting. In the month and a half since it opened to the public, the park has already become a popular destination, said Dan Cartwright, town manager.
“The whole community has really embraced this. On warm days, we’ve had I don’t know how many people waiting to get on the pickleball courts, and just all over the splash pad and the playgrounds. It’s a great impact and a real community-centered facility,” he said.
For most of the eight years since Bargersville officials purchased the plot of land northeast of County Road 144 and Saddle Club Road, it sat vacant.
Without funding, town officials were long unable to bring to fruition plans to open up the ambitious, six-acre park. But when Bargersville received $1.8 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, that gave town finances the boost that was needed to get plans for the park off the ground in 2021 and break ground for it in June of 2022.
Kephart Park is the culmination of years of planning, said Susie Qualls, president of the Bargersville town council.
“This park has been a priority of this council and I am proud to say we put it together in less than four years. We have turned a sign that stood at that corner into a vibrant, thriving community space,” Qualls said. “The journey has been filled with challenges, but it is our perseverance and determination that has carried us through every obstacle. This park is more than just a beautiful space, it’s a testament to the spirit of our community.”
From the beginning it was clear the park would be a special place, said Trent Newport, a Bargersville resident and president of CrossRoad Engineers.
“It was exciting,” Newport said. “Walking, going through it, you knew when we were in the design phase that it was going to be that kind of a park that would stand on its own. It’s out here and a new part of the growth of Bargersville. I live in this community, I come here with my grandkids and so it’s really special to be part of something like that.”
The park also featured buy-in from other residents. The town and Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, or IHCDA, held an online fundraiser to pay for certain amenities of the park such as a wooded walking trail, picnic tables, grills, a sign for the park and landscaping that raised $58,467. That exceeded the $50,000 goal and triggered a $50,000 match from IHCDA.
With the donations, however, the Bargersville Parks Department was able to save money it would’ve spent on those features and put it toward future programs, Kris Wilson, parks director said when the fundraiser began in April.
This time last year, Bargersville didn’t have a parks department and had just a handful of small green spaces. But in January, town officials hired Wilson as the town’s first parks director. Wilson spent the previous 17 years building the parks and recreation department in Mooresville.
She helped build parks programming and facilities in Mooresville and town officials are hoping she will do the same for Bargersville. While planning for Kephart Park was done before Wilson arrived, she will oversee the day-to-day operations of the park now that it’s open, she said.
“It’s amazing. It’s the first step, obviously, Bargersville is growing. This is a great way to start and to show the importance of how much it’s used and what it brings to current and future residents,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to continue to make it easier for people to safely come downtown without having to get in their car, whether they want to ride a bike or walk with their family or whatnot.”
The park is a major step in a plan town officials have to grow amenities for the growing town. Last year, the town underwent a $60,000 rebranding effort culminating in a new town logo and website, and next year, town leaders will unveil the $2 million Umbarger Plaza, an event plaza that will host concerts and serve as a downtown gathering space.
