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 Post subject: City ballpark renovations to finish by end of year
PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:30 am 
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City ballpark renovations to finish by end of year

HOBART | After months of work, city park officials plan to have the $600,000 renovation of City Ballpark completed by the end of the year.

The improvements, combined with the recent completion of Pavese Park, are part of a multiyear, $9 million plan to renovate many of the parks in the Hobart parks system. About $5.2 million will be paid through a park bond and the rest will be covered through a variety of grants, Parks Superintendent Mike Farrell said.

Renovations at City Ballpark, 400 E. Eighth St., include creating a trailhead for the Oak Savannah Trail. The city also is creating a 1,500-foot segment of the trail, which currently ends at Wisconsin Street on the west and resumes near Ind. 51 and Ind. I30 on the east. The trail could run continuously through the city by 2008.

Ballpark renovations also include replacing the fencing around the ballfield with a higher, sturdier fence. An asphalt walking path around the back of the backstop also is being added.

Workers are constructing a building that will hold restrooms and storage and eventually can be used as a concession stand, if needed. There also will be a picnic area and shelter, Farrell said.

Parking areas also will be improved and expanded.

The playground structures have been replaced and enhanced, and the swings now are handicapped-accessible. Crews are adding stand-alone spring toys and a twisting climbing structure.

"Even though the construction isn't done, there are already muddy footprints on it," Farrell said.

In addition to the City Ballpark itself, the city also plans to develop a triangular plot of land adjacent to it. The spot is less than an acre but will add a trail and possibly add a water structure like a zero-depth splash pad similar to the one in Wicker Park in Highland.

This fall the city also finished improvements on Pavese Park, which included a shoreline stabilization project to fix erosion.

"We want to stabilize the shoreline so city property doesn't contribute to the sediment buildup in the lake," he said.

Other improvements include paving the street and making it one-way, adding parking and redoing the boat launch area, which is the only public launch area onto Lake George. There also is a floating dock for fishermen.

The park also features solar-powered street lights, a new restroom building and a new play area.

"People are using the lake more," he said. "We're already seeing increased use at Pavese Park."

Projects for this year are winding down, but plans already are under way for next year.

The third phase of Lakefront development is set to begin in the area around City Hall, and the city hopes to make improvements to Fred Rose Park. Improvements at Fred Rose Park will include further shoreline stabilization, a pedestrian bridge over the lake and an asphalt trail through the park.

"We're creating a system of trails through the city," Farrell said. "It's exciting. We're getting to projects that the city has been trying to do for many years."


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