BLOOMINGTON – The Board of Park Commissioners will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at the Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1601 S. Rogers St., to review a proposed approach to investing in aging parks and recreation facilities and addressing maintenance needs across the system.
The Parks and Recreation Department will present its 2026 Investment Priorities Plan, which recommends projects for existing facilities, parks, playgrounds, and trails, and outlines strategies for funding those needs over the next several years. The plan is the only item on the special meeting agenda, and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend and provide comments.
The plan is a supplement to the recently adopted 2026–2030 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and represents the next step in putting the Master Plan’s goals into practice. It draws on facility condition assessments, usage and cost recovery information, community engagement, and other information gathered during the master planning process.
The recommendations focus particularly on one of the Master Plan’s four main goals, “Invest in What We Have,” as the Department balances the needs of aging facilities with responsibility for parks and infrastructure added to the system in recent years.
Recommended projects and improvements
The Park Board will discuss recommendations that include improvements at Bryan Park Pool, installing turf infields and LED lights at Winslow Sports Park, replacing the playground at Olcott Park, repairing trails, installing a new elevator at the Banneker Community Center, adding pickleball courts at RCA Community Park, replacing irrigation at Cascades Golf Course, and long-term options for the Frank Southern Ice Arena
The plan also recommends gradually increasing the amount of the Department’s annual General Fund budget dedicated to capital needs. From 2016 through 2025, about 2.2% of General Fund expenditures went toward capital expenses. The proposed goal is to increase annual capital investment to at least 4% of the General Fund budget in 2028, 5% in 2029 and 6% in 2030.
Proposed 2027 bond would focus on existing assets
In preparing this plan, the Department has been exploring the potential issuance of a $7.3 million general obligation bond in 2027 to fund some of the highest-priority projects, with bond payments beginning in 2028. The report details a draft plan of how those funds could be spent. However, a recently announced statewide grant opportunity through the Indiana Community Parks Initiative, with funding from the Lilly Endowment, may also provide a pathway for investment funds.
The Investment Priorities Plan also includes other recommendations, such as evaluating the potential sale of the Parks-owned property at 349 S. Walnut St., pursuing partnerships and sponsorships, and using other available revenues to help maintain and reinvest in existing assets.
Public input invited
No final action on the Investment Priorities Plan is scheduled for the special meeting. Following the presentation, Parks and Recreation will consider feedback and refine the plan before taking it to a future meeting of the Park Board for potential adoption.
Community members may provide public comment during the meeting. Those unable to attend will have an opportunity to review the information and submit comments online following the meeting.
Find the 2026–2030 Bloomington Parks and Recreation Master Plan and its supporting supplements online.
Send feedback to Parks and Recreation about the 2026-2030 Master Pla
