Construction begins on a 20-acre, $15 million ‘community destination’ for area residents

EVANSVILLE — Local and regional leaders in southwest Indiana broke ground Thursday for Ohio Township Park, a 20-acre park and green space in Warrick County.

The project is funded by Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI). Indiana Governor… Eric Holcomb established the READI program in 2021. READI grants were intended to make Indiana communities more attractive places to live and attract workforce talent. At the time, more than half of Indiana counties had lost population over the past decade.

READI 1.0 received a boost of $500 million in government funding for regional developments. According to a Thursday news release from READI, the organization “is bringing dynamism to regions across the state to accelerate shovel-ready projects and programs that will transform Indiana communities, attract talent and improve quality of life.”

READI’s press release included a quote attributed to Holcomb.

“Indiana’s READI program continues to foster new community destinations, bringing new outdoor assets and activities to life for residents and families,” the governor said. “This Ohio municipal park envisions 20 acres of green space with opportunities to gather, play and learn, creating a greater sense of community culture and vitality for Warrick County and the surrounding southwest Indiana region.”

According to READI, the $15 million Ohio Township Park project — The project, which includes a $3 million contribution to READI 1.0, will create a 20-acre “community destination” for residents along Libbert and Vann roads in Warrick County. The park, located one mile east of I-69 and adjacent to the Ohio Township Fire Station and Community Center, will include a playground, a water play area and slide, outdoor fitness stations, running, walking and biking trails, yard games, sports fields, event turf, a lake, a shelter with party rooms and pavilions, among other features.

“Each element is designed to challenge children to discover and explore, fostering cognitive, social, physical and creative skills,” READI said.

The park will offer what READI says will be “easy access to the community and surrounding region, as well as connections to the Warrick Wellness Trail, shopping, dining, hotels and workplaces.”

The park facilities are expected to begin opening in late spring. “This park will be a vibrant community asset, offering diverse activities for all ages and promoting healthy lifestyles,” Ohio Township Administrator Chad Bennett said in READI’s press release. “It’s a place where families can make memories and our community can come together.”

According to READI, READI 1.0 has awarded $487 million to 353 separate projects and programs across the state, “resulting in an investment of $12.6 billion (26:1 investment leverage ratio) in quality of life, quality of place, and quality of opportunity initiatives.”

READI says READI 2.0, part of Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda and bolstered with funding from the Lilly Endowment, is allocating another $750 million to accelerate community development investments across the state. It’s expected to attract at least a 4-to-1 ratio of local public and private funding, which READI says will result in at least $3 billion invested to “increase the vitality and prosperity of Indiana communities.”

Warrick County is part of the Southwest Indiana READI region, led by the Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, which READI said received $95 million in READI 1.0 and READI 2.0 matching funds to support quality of life projects in Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties.

READI’s expenditures in the region, including Ohio Township Park, are “designed to foster population growth and upward mobility by connecting the region’s riverfront to inspiring public amenities, attractions and housing; generating good-paying jobs; improving the quality of place for healthier residents; building housing near employment centers; and capitalizing on the I-69 Ohio River Crossing to create new regional opportunities,” READI says.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, a Vanderburgh County resident, on Thursday supported the new project in Warrick.

“Ohio Township Park is a testament to what can be accomplished when state and local entities come together with a shared vision for community development,” Crouch said in READI’s news release. “This park will be a cornerstone for recreation, community events and family activities, enriching the lives of residents for years to come.”

This article originally appeared in the Evansville Courier & Press: Ground breaks on 20-acre, $15 million ‘community destination’ for area residents