The new year is already off to an exciting start. Fishers Parks & Recreation will soon be completing several capital projects that will add new amenities to an already robust parks and recreation system for Fishers residents. We sat down with the department’s director, Tony Elliot to get the scoop on the projects that are underway.
Ambassador House
While the Ambassador House is not new to our community, some new projects on the grounds will make the facility even an even more attractive venue for weddings and community arts programming. A 60-ft by 120-ft concrete pad is currently under construction that will be used for weddings and receptions. The space, which will be tented, will create opportunity as a new entertainment venue fit for audiences of up to 300 people.
“This new space will create some unique opportunities for us to partner with local arts and music groups,” said Parks and Recreation Director, Tony Elliot.
The facility will also be available for corporate events. While Fishers Parks and Recreation has assumed responsibility for event management at the historic house, they still work closely with the Ambassador House organization, which hosts history and arts programming, such as the Harvest Wine Tasting each fall.
Saxony Hall
Saxony Hall is a brand new 4,500 square-foot building under construction on Saxony Lake, adjacent to Saxony Beach. Construction is slated to be complete in mid-April.
“Saxony Hall is kind of a hybrid facility,” said Elliot. “We’ll compete on the wedding front and do a lot of corporate events there, but it will also be a public recreation facility as well.”
While Saxony Hall will give area residents another public space for rental, Saxony Hall also adds basic necessities, like restrooms and foot showers to Saxony Beach, which is bustling with active families during the summer months.
Toddler Playground at Holland Park
At the end of 2014 Holland Park replaced the old playground with a new playground fit for children ages 5-12 complete with ADA accessible rubber surfacing, a new splash pad, shelter and more. This spring, the park will also host a toddler playground for kids ages 2-4. The toddler playground has been highly requested by residents and will round out the park’s offerings nicely.
Riverside Fields
Two new baseball diamonds will open this spring behind Riverside Junior High and Intermediate schools. The fields have been rebuilt with new turf. The 90-foot diamonds will be used by SPORTS youth baseball. The diamonds will be unveiled on the season’s opening day.