Indy Parks and Mayor Joe Hogsett have officially begun a $2.15 million project at Indianapolis World Sports Park on the southeast side of Indianapolis. The project marks the first Lilly Endowment grant to commence in 2024 and will result in a new concession pavilion with restrooms and a paved parking lot next to the existing sports fields.
The Lilly Endowment awarded $80 million in grants to fund improvements at 42 parks across the city, with World Sports Park being the first to benefit from the grant.
“Over the last several years, the City and its partners committed a total of $140 million to upgrade the Indy Parks system because we understand the benefits of a good park,” Hogsett said in a statement. “Today’s groundbreaking will ensure the World Sports Park can hold bigger and better events for families and sports lovers of every kind.”
The Lilly Endowment has funded 42 projects that will bring improvements to sports fields and facilities, playgrounds, splash pads, trails and other recreational areas in all nine Indianapolis townships. The project also includes field and stadium improvements at Kuntz Sports Complex and field improvements at Tarkington Park to better serve youth football leagues, field improvements at Frederick Douglass Park, and the conversion of Gustafson Park’s football field into a multi-purpose field.
“Today’s project here at Indianapolis World Sports Park is an example of the investments we are making in our sports fields and facilities,” Indy Parks Director Phyllis Boyd said.
Indianapolis World Sports Park is known for its multi-use sports fields, where community members play soccer, cricket, lacrosse, hurling, rugby and Gaelic football. With the new improvements, the park will be able to host even bigger and better events for families and sports lovers.
“These historic investments in sports facilities across the city will provide residents of all ages with greater opportunities to play the sports they love,” Boyd said.
Contact multimedia staff writer Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on Twitter @3Noral.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
