Parks and rec improvement projects underway in Evansville thanks to $24M bond
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Several renovation and maintenance projects are progressing at parks and recreation areas in Evansville this spring. The initiatives are being funded by a $24 million parks bond passed by the city council in October 2024.
“Everyone deserves safe, beautiful parks where families can play, gather and make memories. Thanks to the parks bond, we’re finally able to make some of the improvements our community has been asking for and give our neighborhoods the parks they deserve,” said Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry in a news release.
The bond includes eight projects identified in the city’s Parks & Recreation Five-Year Plan 2023-2027. The original proposal also advocated for a $10 million giraffe barn at Mesker Park Zoo, but the parks board removed the project and allocated the money toward other endeavors.
“These were all known projects, some of which we had already done some research in terms of pricing estimates,” said Danielle Crook, executive director of parks and recreation. “Shelf-ready projects tackling deferred maintenance, things that we knew as a city were needed.”
Golf courses
Two golf courses in Evansville received the most money from the parks bond at $5.75 million. The funds will help Fendrich Golf Course and Helfrich Golf Course replace irrigation systems and handle other issues, thanks to the extra giraffe barn money.
“Instead of just doing irrigation, it’s our hope we’ll be able to remedy some of the damaged and unsafe cart paths, repair some of the bunkers, look at some clubhouse improvements as well,” Crook said.
Splash pads
A splash pad will be installed at Tepe Park and another at Helfrich Park with $5 million from the parks bond. The city lost two of its five public pools last year when Hartke Pool and Helfrich Pool were shut down.
“It was safety reasons on both accounts, and both passed their useful lifespan. But the public was not happy about it. So showing that we are investing in and moving forward with aquatics amenities, whether splash pads or pools, is a big deal,” said Crook.
Garvin Park
Garvin Park received $3.5 million from the parks bond for a new playground and shelter as well as basketball courts and restrooms. Crook said the Activity Zone project will replace some of the amenities taken away several years ago because of another initiative.
“There was a playground in a different area of the park that was removed as well as basketball courts that were removed at that time to make room for the [Deaconess] Aquatic Center. The community was promised those would be replaced. Until now, they had not been replaced. So this is starting to fulfill that community promise,” she said.
CK Newsome Center
At CK Newsome Center, $2 million of the parks bond will cover various renovations within the Evansville facility. Crook said the goal is to create a welcoming space and revive the community center.
“There has not been any investment in this community building for a long time. The doors are old. The ceiling tiles are old. The floors are chipping up,” said Crook. “We want to make it safer and give it a refresh.”
4th and Main Park
Though 4th and Main Park is not technically a deferred maintenance project, $2 million from the parks bond will help complete the downtown green space initiative started by the previous administration. The park will complement the Vault on Main development, which will include more than 160 residential units, retail space and an underground parking garage.
“A lot of green space where they can set up yard games, where people can gather and read a book, where they can play chess, where you can bring your kids and pets,” said Deputy Mayor Lindsay Snyder. “Making sure that there is a restroom in the park, because it’s something we desperately need downtown.”
Wesselman Park
At Wesselman Park, $1.85 million of the parks bond will enable the installation of a small restroom inside the playground featuring accessible equipment and replace the existing full-size restroom.
“We are looking at all-year, four-season restrooms. That’s something that parks across the country are going to. And we have not done that yet. So this will be our first opportunity to delve into that. And it’s something the community has asked for over and over for a long time,” Crook said.
Swonder Ice Arena
Evansville’s Swonder Ice Arena received $1.5 million from the parks bond to replace rooftop HVAC units that control the east arena and repair HVAC units in the lobby, fitness center and other areas.
“Swonder Ice Arena is over 20 years old. They’ve hit that 20-year point, the lifespan of most of those HVAC units, their rooftop units, their dehumidifiers, even their cooling tower,” said Crook. “If the building itself is not appropriately heated or cooled, that can impact the ice. And a loss of ice is similar to a loss of a golf course. Once it goes down, it’s not an overnight fix.”
Mesker Park Zoo
Even though the giraffe barn project was removed from the parks bond, Mesker Park Zoo still benefited from some of the funding. The zoo received $750,000 to renovate the veterinary building.
“It’s a refresh for their veterinary hospital. They’re treating animals and doing surgery within the same space, and they need a separate space. So it’s improvements to make treating their animals more efficient and safer,” Crook said.
Other park projects
A few other park projects underway this spring in Evansville were not funded by the parks bond.
At Stevenson Park, new playground equipment and a safety fence will be installed thanks to a donation from the Enterprise Zone. Keep Evansville Beautiful will also plant landscaping around the park sign.
“This project is a testament to what’s possible when public investment meets community partnership,” Crook said in a news release. “Stevenson Park is about to become a more welcoming and fun space for children and families.”
A new playground and safety surfacing at Fulton Park is being funded by Evansville Parks and Recreation and Community Development Block Grant funds administered through the Department of Metropolitan Development.
“This project, along with the Activity Zone at Garvin Park, is an illustration of our commitment to take care of the things we have and to ensure that everyone in our community has access to safe, beautiful parks and recreational opportunities,” said Crook in a news release.