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Warsaw Redevelopment Commission approved purchasing a piece of property to potentially turn into a park.
The lot at Buffalo and Jefferson streets was purchased for $138,000 from Enrique Vargas Salinas.
Jeremy Skinner, Warsaw community and economic development director, said the city originally took the property at a tax sale in 2008 or 2009. Redevelopment Commission member and former Mayor Joe Thallemer said he believed there used to be apartment buildings there that had issues. Skinner said the city later sold the property.
Skinner said the property was part of a project for downtown Warsaw to build a park there. The Redevelopment Commission will work with Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer and the Parks Department and other city departments. Grant funding will be pursued.
Main Street Warsaw (MSW) Downtown Development Director Terry Sweeney said the park is planned to be the first fully fenced park the Parks Department has in the city. It will be accessible to people of all abilities. There will be interactive art-focused type of experiences at the park, such a communal art table and a storytelling area. There will be opportunities for a chalk walk and kids murals and professional art installations.
Sweeney said MSW made grant applications to the Kosciusko County Community Foundation and 1st Source Bank Foundation. MSW also received permission to move forward with grant applications with the K21 Health Foundation and Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative. He said the grant money would substantially reduce the cost of the park.
Thallemer asked if there was adequate parking in that area. Sweeney said he thinks there’s 10 spaces as part of the site plan. MSW has spoken with 1st Source Bank, who have given preliminary permission to allow their parking lot to be used as overflow parking.
He said by creating a park in that area, it will create a gateway anchor to the downtown in that part of Warsaw. With different surveys MSW has done over the last three years, Sweeney said they consistently get feedback there is nothing for families and children to do in the core of downtown, so creating a park helps meet those needs.
Thallemer asked what the next steps would be. Skinner said MSW put together grant applications in partnership with the city, so they’ll see what they get with those grants. Then contracts will have to go out to bid.
Thallemer asked if the park would be under the authority of the Parks Department. Skinner said yes.
Thallemer asked to see designs for the park. Skinner said they have preliminary designs for the park. Sweeney said he could send the preliminary plans to the Redevelopment Commission.
Thallemer said with property on the south side of the railroad tracks, it’s going to be hard to find a use for that property and having a park there would be a great fit.
Commission Vice President Mike Klondaris voiced concerns about safety. Jefferson Street is not a main street, but is used, with one use being with Presby Preschool drop-off. He said he didn’t know what the future for the railroad track is and didn’t know if Slate Auto was going to use that track a lot.
Klondaris also brought up there is a neighborhood park behind the Marsh building.
The one thing Klondaris keeps hearing from people is the need for a dog park for people who live downtown or who don’t have yards. He asked if there was a way for part of the property to be used as a dog park.
Skinner said he believed there were plans for a dog park close to downtown, but would have to check on that.
