GREENFIELD — Construction is beginning on Depot Street Park in Greenfield, a space intended for outdoor public gatherings that is one of the first projects of the Stellar Communities program.
A virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the park will be held online Feb. 2 to celebrate the beginning of the project. A link to a livestream of the virtual presentation, which begins at 10 a.m., will be available at greenfieldin.org.
The ceremony will feature state and local officials, including Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch; Denny Spinner, director of the state Office of Community and Rural Affairs, which helps administer the Stellar Communities program; Mayor Chuck Fewell and others. The park is a cornerstone of the Health and Heritage Region’s development plan under Indiana’s Stellar Communities program. The program is overseen by the lieutenant governor’s office.
Greenfield senior planner Jenna Wertman said the beginning of construction on the park is a major milestone in the community’s Stellar efforts.
“It’s one of the first Stellar projects that’s getting moving,” she said.
The Health and Heritage Region, consisting of Greenfield, Fortville, and Hancock County, was chosen as a Stellar community in 2018, making up to $15 million of grant funding available for economic development and quality-of-life projects.
Depot Street Park will be in downtown Greenfield near the Pennsy Trail. It will feature an amphitheater and performance space. It is located on the original site of the train depot that once stood in Greenfield.
“The design of the park will improve the passive green space along the trail with an amphitheater, seating, areas for art, and an event lawn,” the city of Greenfield’s planning department said in a press release. “The amphitheater is designed to be two-sided, allowing for smaller and larger performances to take place in the park. The park is designed for up to 800-1,000 people to enjoy a variety of events including music concerts, plays, festivals, cultural events and much more.”
The city is also working on two other Stellar projects. An inclusive playground at Franklin Park is set to open in the spring, offering playground equipment that is accessible for children with physical and developmental disabilities. Most equipment at the park has been installed, Wertman said, and the city is currently working on installing benches and decorative boulders, to be following by surfacing and sidewalk in the early spring.
A Main Street Revitalization Program that would provide grant funding for seven buildings in downtown Greenfield to get new facades is also on the agenda. The city will be applying for the grant from Stellar in February.