Phyllis Boyd, board chair and parks director for the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, told the Board of Parks and Recreation on May 20 that the administration is seeking $2,000,000 in the city’s spring fiscal proposal for Indy Parks to address facility maintenance and amenity improvements across the system.

The money would be used for projects similar to the department’s regular capital improvement work and represents “over 30%” of the department’s usual annual capital improvement plan of $5,800,000, Boyd said. The largest single category in the spring request is $900,000 for improvements to hard courts — basketball, tennis, pickleball and futsal — covering 60 courts at 28 parks. The scope described by Boyd includes striping, crack repair, surface resurfacing and replacement of nets and goals where needed.

The request also includes bulk purchases of site amenities such as picnic tables, benches and trash receptacles; $249,000 proposed for expanded landscape maintenance; a one‑time lighting replacement at the Ellenberger Park tennis and pickleball courts; and a $150,000 allocation to replace HVAC equipment at the Garfield Park Conservatory, Boyd said. Interior fixture modernization for family centers and pool facilities at Garfield, Riverside, Indy Island and Perry Parks was also included in the outline.

Why it matters: Boyd said the expenditure would extend the lifespan of high‑use amenities and improve daily experiences across the parks system. The board was told the proposed work aligns with the department’s regular CIP priorities and that several City–County Councilors have also identified parks in their districts for separate $1,000,000 improvements; public meetings with those councilors are being scheduled this summer to prepare bids for fall.

Don Colvin, deputy director and board advisor, highlighted other recent and ongoing park work: the opening of the Riverside Adventure Park, which now offers roughly four miles of trails, a new playground, multiple shelters, outdoor exercise equipment and a nature playground; completion of ARPA‑funded playground projects at Frank Young and Orange Parks; and plans to finalize pool and splash pad inspections ahead of Memorial Day weekend openings. Colvin also thanked partners such as Gleaners Food Bank and the Pacers for expanding the department’s drive‑and‑dish grocery pick‑up program at parks.

Board context and next steps: Boyd framed the $2,000,000 request as an additive investment on top of the department’s annual CIP. She and Colvin told the board that if the spring request is funded, staff will develop scopes and bids similar to their capital projects pipeline. No formal board vote was taken on the spring fiscal proposal during the meeting.

Ending: Staff said they will schedule community meetings tied to councilor‑selected projects this summer and proceed with design and permitting if funding is approved. The board’s next meeting was scheduled for June 17, 2025.