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Friends of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park present mural, describe pool outage and safety concerns
Summary
Volunteers from the Friends of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park described a new mural project, ongoing volunteer efforts and concerns about the neighborhood pool’s mechanical failure and recent violent incidents. Board members pressed staff on pool maintenance and safety follow‑up.
Representatives from the Friends of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park presented to the board June 17 about recent volunteer activity, a new mural at the pool building and community safety concerns tied to recurring gun incidents and the pool’s closure.
Whitney Childress, vice president of the friends group, described a mural project that includes portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy and a historic IPS chess team that once represented the neighborhood. Childress said the group received a roughly $9,000 grant from the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center and expanded the mural scope with a local artist; the group plans a dedication in July.
Childress and Shyla Larson, north regional manager for Indy Parks, also reported the neighborhood pool closed for the season after an electrical failure. "The pool was open at the beginning of the season, and then there were some electrical problems that happened just a few days into the opening of the pool," Larson said. Staff said the pool’s pump motor experienced an electrical short and was removed for repair; only a small number of specialized vendors in Indianapolis service the large pool motors, which affects repair scheduling.
Friends group members said several neighborhood volunteers have moved away following violent incidents around the park, including a large shootout at a basketball court. Board member remarks showed frustration with repeated pool closures: one board member said routine winter pump maintenance and earlier testing should have prevented seasonal outages.
Deputy Director Don Colvin described measures Indy Parks has taken at the site, including portable cameras, new LED lighting in the lot and coordination with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department; he said additional cameras and lights are planned as part of South End improvements. Director Britney Crone said the department recently added a parks safety administrator and she will work with staff to strengthen relationships with IMPD and identify support for the neighborhood.
No formal board action was recorded on the presentation; staff committed to follow up on pool repairs, security camera placement and coordination with police.
