INGALLS — The smiles were wide and giggles were plentiful as several area youngsters jumped onto the newly installed playground equipment at the new Jesse Ireton Memorial Park.
Dozens of local residents joined town manager Tim Millikan for a community build to get the new grounds and equipment ready for use by local families looking for a place to relax and play.
The park, originally situated on about an eighth of an acre of land at the corner of North Meridian Street and Third Avenue, now sits on almost an acre of nearby property at 322 N. Randall St.
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The idea behind the rebuild is to help beautify the area, Millikan said.
Having a nice park in town is important to the town center image local officials are trying to create, he said.
The goal is to eventually buy adjoining property in the area and turn the park into a larger recreational space with walking trails and more, Ingalls Town Council President Tim Green said.
“We’re hoping that we can get some of this done within the next year,” Green said.
The new playground equipment cost $20,600, and town leaders hired a professional installation supervisor to over see the recent project.
Town officials spent another $800 for temporary labor and an estimated $200 to provide breakfast and lunch for the people working the site.
The park provides an all-ages area and recreation facility, with a shelter, and gives residents on the north side of U.S. 36 and U.S. 67, as well as those near the railroad, a park they can visit without having to cross the busy highway and railway system, Millikan said.
The hope is a walk to the park will encourage physical fitness and reduce the use of vehicles to reach park facilities, town leaders said.
Millikan and town leaders came up with the community build idea not only to revamp the park but also to move it to a better location, one that can be expanded in the future.
The previous location was mostly a toddler-equipped park with roughly half of the equipment being out of date and designated unsafe by a certified playground inspector, Millikan said.
The new location is better equipped with more all-ages equipment and facilities.
“Everybody is loving it, and they want more of course,” Millikan said.
Town officials plan to add refurbished equipment to the site, with some being recycled from the previous location.
The next section of the park, soon to be excavated, will have a swing set and a couple of bending spring animals for children to jump on, and a climbing apparatus.
Town leaders eventually want to add a half-court basketball area and restroom facility.
They’re planning to install those near where a blue mobile home and garage currently sit, but will soon be demolished and rezoned for the park, pending town approval.
Long-term plans call for connecting Ireton park with the Interurban Park at 238 W. Menden Road via a multi-purpose trail that would do away with the need to cross a state highway or railroad tracks.
“To hook walking trails up you’ve either got to go over or under, and that costs money,” Green said.
Millikan said there’s an idea to possibly link Ingalls, Fortville and Pendleton with trails, but plans for that have not been discussed with other town leaders yet.
He said he plans to research grants from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and reach out to neighboring towns before pursuing any possible larger-scale plans.
