Brownsburg officials review Lincolnwood Park master plan that outlines $85–$92 million build option

Amber, a parks department project lead, presented the Lincolnwood Park master plan to the Brownsburg Town Council on April 24, describing an illustrative layout and high-level costs and asking the council whether to advance the plan to design and public comment.

The plan is a blocking-level concept that places roughly 1 mile of multiuse trails, a 4.5-acre amphitheater/event lawn, a 1.6-acre outdoor aquatics area, a 73,000-square-foot indoor recreation center and roughly 340 parking stalls within the site constraints identified by staff. Amber said the town acquired the property in 2017 and the design work evolved through community feedback, feasibility work and several consultant teams.

Amber said the town’s concurrent-construction estimate for the entire program ranges from $85 million to $92 million. She presented a phasing option with separate high-level figures: about $20.5 million for the outdoor aquatics, $55 million for the indoor recreation center and $16.5 million for the amphitheater. "Please note these are high level estimates and actual costs will become more accurate once the design is finalized," Amber told the council.

The presentation identified site limitations that shaped the layout: a central drainage corridor, an eastern floodway that limits development, and a southern mitigation area that must be preserved. The plan uses trails and naturalized stormwater techniques (bio-swales, rain gardens, permeable surfaces) to reduce reliance on traditional retention ponds and to connect the park to the regional White Lick Creek greenway.

Key elements shown in the blocking plan include:

- Trails and connections: Approximately 1 mile of internal walking and biking trails with potential service/equipment access for events and connections to the White Lick Creek corridor. - Amphitheater: A lawn-style amphitheater sited into the hillside with a 3,200-square-foot covered stage, ADA access and infrastructure for vendors and food trucks. - Outdoor aquatics: A destination-style outdoor facility concept with a 6,400-square-foot leisure pool (zero-entry), a four-lane lap pool, a lazy river, a water slide, interactive play features, cabanas, shade structures and concessions. - Indoor recreation center: A two-level, hillside-integrated building concept with an upper-level track and fitness areas and a lower-level two-court gymnasium, indoor aquatics with lap lanes and activity pool, an indoor play area and multipurpose rooms.

Amber also presented high-level pro forma results prepared as part of the concept work. She said the outdoor aquatics pro forma showed a strong potential for positive cost recovery but that the indoor recreation center would likely run at a deficit in the early years. She cautioned the pro formas do not include long-term capital replacement or some indirect costs and that utilization assumptions will drive financial performance.

Council members questioned project scale, timing and funding. Staff outlined three general funding/delivery paths for further consideration: a municipal referendum (direct voter approval), phasing with municipal funding and a build–own–transfer (BOT) public–private partnership in which a private partner finances, builds and operates the facility for a set term before ownership transfers to the town. In describing the BOT model, Amber said it can reduce upfront capital costs and leverage private-sector delivery but requires careful, long-term contractual oversight and inspection to protect town standards.

Council discussion touched on traffic and site access (including a potential roundabout at the park entrance and an additional egress toward Washington Street), whether parks staff would occupy space in the facility, the risk of rising construction costs, and the need for further public engagement. Amber said the town will post the presentation and supplemental materials online and open a public comment form for 30 days; staff recommended at least one, and possibly two, public input sessions.

No final decision or vote was taken; the presentation was introductory and staff asked for direction on whether to advance the concept to a formal design phase, to seek funding options, or to restrict scope. Amber asked the council to indicate any budget limits the council would want staff to use to guide future design.

Councilmembers and staff agreed to continue work, gather additional public input and return with further financial and delivery details before committing to a project or a funding path.

The presentation and reports will be posted on the town website for public review and comment.