Indiana Tech, City of Fort Wayne to partner on new Memorial Park facilities

Indiana Tech to add softball stadium, track and field facility to park

Indiana Tech and the City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department will partner on new athletic facilities in Memorial Park, Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and Indiana Tech President Dr. Arthur Snyder announced today.

Under the development plan, Indiana Tech will invest an estimated $6.4 million in the construction of a new track and field facility, softball stadium, and athletic training and office facility within Memorial Park. The training and office facility will include offices for track and field, cross country and softball coaches as well as an on-site Indiana Tech facilities manager. The university will own and manage the new facilities while the Parks & Recreation Department will continue to manage the park’s current facilities and open spaces.

Indiana Tech will partner with Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation to coordinate Parks & Recreation usage of the new facilities. Potential use of the facilities may include but not be limited to Parks & Recreation sports camps and clinics; sports leagues; outdoor and field activities as part of camps run by Parks & Recreation, and the hosting of local and regional high school and youth competitions. The full terms of the usage agreement between Indiana Tech and the City are still being finalized.

The site plan proposed by Indiana Tech and the City maintains all of the existing facilities at Memorial Park, including the pool, splash pad, playground, basketball courts and pavilion. The existing parking lot will be reconfigured largely within its existing footprint to add parking spots. Indiana Tech’s new softball stadium will be located where the existing park softball field lies today, while the new track and field facility will be located along the eastern edge of the park.  The new athletic training and office facility will be constructed adjacent to the parking lot.

Dr. Arthur Snyder, president of Indiana Tech, commented, “This new partnership represents a win for all involved – Indiana Tech, our neighborhood, and the City as a whole. We’re pleased to give our national champion track teams and our softball team great new facilities, while continuing to engage our neighbors, area athletes, and the entire community through collaborative programming with the Parks & Recreation Department.”

“I continue to be encouraged by the positive momentum and investments we’re experiencing in the City of Fort Wayne. Indiana Tech and the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department have developed unique plans to enhance Indiana Tech athletics and provide additional opportunities at Memorial Park for nearby neighborhoods,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “Our City has become a point of destination with quality of life amenities that bring individuals, families, neighborhoods and educational institutions together to make a lasting difference.”

“We’re excited to partner with Indiana Tech on this project,” said Parks & Recreation Director Al Moll. “It’ll be a great addition to Memorial Park and we’re looking forward to seeing a lot more activity in the park during the times Indiana Tech is using the track and the softball field, but also during the hours that the fields and facility are utilized for Parks & Recreation programs.”

The proposed site plan is to be submitted to the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals on April 4. It will also require approval by the Board of Park Commissioners. Pending relevant approvals this spring, Indiana Tech and Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation anticipate site work and construction to begin in June 2017, with the goal of having the new athletics facilities completed in March 2018.

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