Logansport parks staff outline Spencer Park playground, splash pad and storage-barn work; Iron Horse lockers installed

Parks department staff told the Logansport City Parks and Recreation Board on July 9 that several ongoing capital and maintenance projects are advancing, with specific dates for the Spencer Park playground replacement and progress reported on the Iron Horse splash pad and a new storage barn.

Kevin, the parks staff member leading the management report, said the Spencer Park playground is scheduled to be demolished on Aug. 4, 2025, with installation beginning Aug. 11, 2025. "We have taken possession of both playgrounds that are gonna be going in at Spencer," a staff member added, and the department said the contractor holds a building permit and planned to set floor work in the second week of August.

Work at Iron Horse Park is further along: staff said rental lockers arrived and were fully installed Monday, and the department set an initial rental model at $2 per hour for use of the lockers. Construction of the splash pad has required extensive excavation and backfill; staff reported hauling hundreds of tons of material and that crews had completed forms and backfilling with #11 stone and installed plumbing and electrical. Concrete pours were pending weather.

Staff also described work on a new cold-storage barn and two cart barns: the city obtained a building permit for the storage barn at Spencer Park and crews began site work; finishing the floor is scheduled for the second week of August. The new building was described as having tall drive-through doors to ease event logistics, including storage for Christmas-in-the-Park decorations.

Parks staff reported ongoing maintenance work this spring and summer: engineered wood fiber (EWF) mulch refills at multiple playgrounds, storm damage tree removal, and a heavy use of part-time seasonal crews. Events and programming counts cited at the meeting included a June firefly walk with 86 attendees and this summer’s lesson totals to date — 27 swim lessons, 32 tennis lessons and 41 golf lessons — with more sessions to come.

Security and data-collection cameras are being installed under a vendor schedule; staff said cameras are active at Riverside and crews will continue installations on Thursdays and Fridays "for the foreseeable future" to gather people- and vehicle-count analytics for parks and events. Staff also said Christmas-in-the-Park sponsorships and displays are in development for the winter season.

Board members thanked staff and visiting residents who offered to partner or donate small items like disc-golf baskets for local parks; the board said it would discuss donations and return a decision to the donors.

No formal board action was taken on these project updates during the meeting; staff indicated scheduling and vendor coordination remain in progress.