Page last updated on March 21, 2024 at 12:09 pm
This page provides an overview of current projects happening at parks, trails, and facilities. Projects will be organized by location with current details below.
B-Line Trail - Showers Plaza Repairs
Repairs are currently being made to the Showers Plaza and B-Line Trail near City Hall, where a water main rupture in January caused widespread damage to the pavers and subgrade material. Repairs are being coordinated between City of Bloomington Utilities and the Parks and Recreation Department. The B-Line recently reopened after two weeks of paver repairs, and the remainder of repairs to the plaza will be completed by the end of March (in time for the first Farmers' Market on April 6).
Bryan Park Playground Replacement
Parks and Recreation is using $360,000 of the City's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to replace the Bryan Park juvenile (intended for children ages 5 to 12 years) playground in spring 2024. Installed in 1999, the current playground is one of the oldest playgrounds in the city park system. Demolition of the existing playground is nearly complete. New concrete curbing will be poured in the coming weeks before new equipment arrives and begins to be installed in April.
Building Trades Park Master Plan
A new master plan is being created for Building Trades Park to help address aging park infrastructure, as well as to help address future anticipated needs and community wants for the park. Mader Design, a Beech Grove, Ind. based landscape architect firm, presented the second iteration of design concepts for the Building Trades Park Master Plan during a public input meeting on Dec. 7, 2023. Comments regarding park amenities and features included in the updated master plan concepts were collected between Dec. 12, 2023 and Jan. 15, 2024, and these comments are currently being incorporated into the final master plan design, which will be shared with the public in spring 2024. A first round of park improvements, focusing on accessibility, are planned to be contracted before the end of 2024 using a portion of the city's available ARPA funding.
Bicentennial Gateways
The Bicentennial Gateway planned for the north end of Miller-Showers Park is currently being redesigned after a shift in concept at the end of 2023. The City plans to install a horizontal limestone gateway element, with illuminated "Bloomington" lettering, and pair it with a commissioned public art piece through the Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC). The construction plans for the project are currently being reconfigured while coordination with the BAC is ongoing. These improvements are being made through use of 2018 Bicentennial Bond funds.
Updated renderings of the concept were shared at the end of November 2023 after considering public feedback. Additional feedback on the redesigned gateway concept was collected through Dec. 15, 2023. For more information or updates, email parks@bloomington.in.gov or call 812-349-3700.
Griffy Lake Loop Trail and Accessible Fishing Pier Project
The new south shore trails and the dam trail crossing projects at Griffy Lake are complete. Permanent trail signage will be installed this spring. While parking at the dam and accessing trails is now an option, users are asked to consider the freeze-thaw cycle and trail conditions before using the new trails, as complete soil compaction will take a number of months and areas of the trail can get muddy. These improvements were made through the use of 2018 Bicentennial Bond funds.
RCA Community Park
Two projects are currently underway at RCA Community Park: the first will reinstall lights at the tennis and pickleball courts that have been missing for several years. This project will be completed in March 2024, and the lights will be on a push-button enable timer that functions only during park hours. The second project will install a new rentable picnic shelter at the location indicated below (just west of the restroom building) in summer 2024. This 37'x42' shelter replaces the old large shelter that was removed from the western edge of the field last year.
Urban Forestry & Tree Planting
During 2024, Parks and Recreation will replant approximately 150 trees along the Duke Energy's Bloomington Reliability Project corridors (mostly on Rogers Street and 17th Street). A contract with Morin's Landscaping to plant these trees will be approved at the March Board of Park Commissioners meeting. Additionally, a third phase of the Bicentennial Tree planting throughout the city is planned to be contracted for planting in 2025 by the end of this year.
2024 Parks Solar Installations
Solar panel installation will be take place in early 2024 at the Cascades Golf Course Clubhouse, 3550 N. Kinser Pike, and at the Switchyard Maintenance Building at 1601 S. Rogers St. at Switchyard Park. This project was funded through Economic Development-Local Income Tax funds earmarked for sustainability efforts.