Greenwood will use tax increment financing funds to make significant improvements to the city’s oldest park.
The redevelopment commission on Tuesday committed $5.4 million to redesign Old City Park. The city’s Stormwater Department also committed $300,000 for the project, which is expected to cost $4,942,000.
The money will also cover the cost of any equipment that is needed, which was not included in the estimate. The city also wants to make sure it has additional money on hand for any contingencies, said Kevin Steinmetz, capital projects manager.
The re-imagined Old City Park will feature a cube tower, a 20-foot climbing structure for kids, which Mayor Mark Myers touted during his recent State of the City address, saying it will be the first in Indiana and one of only three in the country. The park will also include a promenade that will run alongside Pleasant Creek downtown, a rock climbing wall, a pedestrian bridge, urban porch swings and a bocce ball court, providing outdoor activities for both children and adults.
"This is something we told people we were going to do, then we designed it and funded the design of it, and now we’re going to build it, hopefully," Steinmetz told commissioners on Tuesday.
Construction is expected to start this spring and finish next year, he said.
The city plans to award that contract to Myers Construction Management, Inc., a Fishers-based contractor that is also doing work on the former Greenwood Middle School and Department of Public Works building. The company has no relation to Mayor Mark Myers.
