Elkhart officials break ground on Ullery Park Revitalization Project
ELKHART, Ind. — Officials and members of the community gathered at Ullery Park at 11 a.m. For the groundbreaking of the revitalization project.
The project is part of Mayor Rod Roberson's ASPIRE Initiative and is the most significant investment in the neighborhood park since its original development. Jamison Czarnecki, Superintendent of Elkhart Parks and Recreation, says over the next few years the new amenities will benefit everyone.
"We're working on a splash pad, a walking path, a pavilion, toddler play, beautification, and many other opportunities in future years. Next year we'll feature a bathroom building as well," explained Czarnecki.
The project started in 2021 with new playground equipment. Czarneki shared they continued to build on it by holding meetings, talking to 200 residents and completing a bilingual representative survey.
According to Czarnecki, public and private funds were brought together for this project which represents more than $500,000 between the City of Elkhart, the Elkhart Parks Foundation, the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, private donors and multiple city departments.
However, the smiles and shared memories that will be made here are priceless.
"It is not just a park, it's a space that connects neighbors, it's a space that allows kids to thrive and be off their tablets, it's an opportunity that reinvests and activates a neighborhood in a way that you can't emulate with just bare grass, and so these are absolutely important spaces for our residents to be able to do a variety of activities, with the most important being able to be healthy and connect with their neighbors."
Keeping the park a place of community is one of the main goals since the site was once home to the South Side School, later renamed Ullery School, which served generations of Elkhart students and played an important role in the City's African American history. After the school closed, the property was transformed into Ullery Park in 1997.