City targets Riverside Park for archery range

• Redeveloping the former Riverside Golf Course into an adventure park is one piece of an aspirational $120 million plan to make the park, which spans both sides of the White River, more accessible and cohesive.

Driving the news: A new $6.4 million grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will help fund the next project at the adventure park — an outdoor archery range.

• The $7 million project will be the first of its kind in the city's park system, said spokesperson Alex Cortwright.

Flashback: The city created a master plan for redevelopment of the park in 2017.

• Several pieces have already been completed, including the rehabilitation of the Taggart Memorial Amphitheater in 2021 and the opening of the Promenade Trail late last year.

The latest: Work on the first phase, which includes new trails, a fitness loop with outdoor exercise equipment and a nature-themed playground, is expected to finish this year.

What's next: Construction of the archery range is expected to begin next year and will likely take a year to complete, Cortwright said.