GREENFIELD — City leaders are asking residents to provide input on the design of a proposed downtown Greenfield entertainment center, a project to be funded through the Stellar Communities grant program.
Officials hope the future Depot Street Park, an area located along Depot Street between Riley Avenue and Pennsylvania Street and close to the Pennsy Trail in downtown Greenfield, would provide the city with a combined park and performance space suitable for concerts, movies and other events.
A city selection committee recently chose a team of consultants from Fortville-based Context Design to develop a design for the park. Three firms submitted proposals to the city, according to a Health and Heritage Region press release. The region, comprised of Greenfield, Fortville and Hancock County, was chosen as one of two Stellar Communities winners for 2019. The group will receive up to $15 million in grants to fast-track quality-of-life projects over five years, split among the three entities.
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Depot Street Park is one of Greenfield’s first Stellar projects, said Jenna Wertman, associate city planner. The public is invited to provide feedback on the project to city officials and Context Design consultants from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Photon Automation, 275 Center St. in Greenfield.
Wertman has previously said the city expects to spend about $1.5 million using Community Development Block Grant funds through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The design portion of the project will be paid for using local funds, the press release states. The downtown area slated for the park, which is next to a large grain elevator, is owned by the city of Greenfield.
Context Design’s proposal suggested “playful landscapes, durable materials and creative pops of color and art” to distinguish Depot Street Park from conventional city parks, according to the press release.
“One thing that we really strive for in the Parks Department is that each of our parks offer something different,” said Ellen Kuker, Greenfield parks and recreation superintendent. “When you read through the proposal, Context and their team’s vision and imagination really jumped off the page.”
The idea for the project spun off the city’s 2013 revitalization plan that called for an urban park in the downtown with performance spaces and other unique features to anchor downtown and the use of the Pennsy Trail, which runs along the city-owned property.
The park was originally proposed on the site of a large public parking lot at the southeast corner of Pennsylvania and South streets, the press release states. But during conversations following the 2013 revitalization plan, Greenfield officials opted to keep the concept of an urban park but move the location to the current proposed spot. Wertman said close to 275 residents also picked Depot Street Park as a top priority project during public meetings for the 2018 Capital Improvements Plan.
The project will be designed this summer, and the city will apply for an OCRA grant in the fall.
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WHAT: Public meeting on Depot Street Park design
WHEN: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11
WHERE: Photon Automation, 275 Center St., Greenfield
INFO: City officials and design consultants are seeking public feedback on a proposed park and performance area along Depot Street in downtown Greenfield. The project is part of the Stellar grant program.
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