Valpo unveils plan for $30M sports and rec facility

The Valparaiso Parks Department has unveiled plans for a 248-acre, $30 million sports and recreation campus. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report the project includes seven turf fields, natural walking paths, an outdoor plaza and multiple playgrounds.

The complex will be built on farmland on the city’s east side. The city redevelopment commission purchased the land for approximately $4.7 million. In March the city council approved using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to reimburse the RDC for the land acquisition.

Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy says the park’s features are meant to create a campus that will “serve a diverse community with a wide range of interests and abilities.”

The publication says the park design includes three main areas. The northern section (Northplex) consists of four multipurpose turf fields with lighting, a restroom/concession building and ticketing.

The central area (Community Plaza) includes 10 pickleball courts, administrative building and a medical facility.

The southern section (Southplex) has three more turf fields for football and soccer. One of the fields includes bleachers and a scoreboard.

The parks department says the south end will also include nature trails and wetland, which already exist on the property. It says over 50 acres of green space will be a patchwork of native prairie, wetlands and forest, crisscrossed with bridges, boardwalks and walking paths.

“The Valpo Sports and Recreation Campus is a long-term project, one that will extend beyond any one mayor or city council,” said Murphy. “With an eye toward the future, the city has secured the property … to provide a special place for both us and future generations.”

The city hopes to begin construction on the park this spring. The project is slated to be completed by summer 2024.

Click here to access the full article from The Times of Northwest Indiana.