Indy's Frederick Douglass Park Center debuts
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A new chapter for the Northeast side park. Photo: Provided by Indy Parks and Recreation
The new $23 million Frederick Douglass Park Family Center is changing the energy on Indy's Northeast side and setting the tone for what's possible for Indianapolis parks.
Why it matters: The 48,000-square-foot facility — the largest of its kind in the city — is located in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, which has been designated as an area of low opportunity when considering average living conditions, education, health, environment and socioeconomics.
Driving the news: Construction on the family center began in October 2022, and a community celebration attended by Mayor Joe Hogsett and other city leaders kicked the doors open late last month.
- The project, which also includes a new playground and shelter, was supported in part by $3.2 million from an $80 million Lilly Endowment grant that will fund improvements across 42 parks.
- Another $1.5 million from the Lilly grant will make future improvements to the park's sports fields starting next year.
Zoom in: Indy Parks spokesperson Alex Cortwright said the Frederick Douglass Park Family Center aims to be a "one-stop shop" for neighbors by boasting a wide range of programming.
- The center includes two full-size basketball courts, an indoor walking track, exercise spaces and pickleball courts.
- A large community meeting room with a stage, a technology room and a podcast studio offer opportunities for creatives.
- A food pantry, day camps and dance classes are also offered.
What they're saying: "It's been pretty overwhelming," Cortwright said of the reaction to the new center so far. "The result is definitely something that this community has been waiting for, for a long time."
- "Once a segregated park during its founding, the significant transformation of Frederick Douglass Park now stands as a beacon of hope and unity for our city as the largest facility within Indy Parks," Indianapolis City-County Councilor Ron Gibson said in a statement.
The intrigue: Cortwright said as the largest family center in the Indy parks system, there will be a lot to learn from how the facility serves the community as the city moves forward with its larger park vision.
- "I think it's like four times larger than the previous (Douglass Center) so it's just a huge difference," he said. "We're trying to make it so that you have more of these types of facilities and options throughout the city."
Zoom out: The Frederick Douglass Park Family Center is the third finished project from the $45 million Circle City Forward initiative Hogsett announced in 2021 to improve city parks. The Riverside Promenade opened in October 2023, and the renovated Krannert Park Family Center opened in January.
- More than $140 million is being invested into new and improved park amenities in Indianapolis between funding from Circle City Forward, the city's $16 million American Rescue Plan Act investment and the Lilly Endowment grant.
What's next: The Grassy Creek Environmental Community Center and the Riverside Adventure Park are currently under construction as Indy Parks' next projects.