By Tony Sandleben, City of Muncie Communications—
MUNCIE, Ind. – Mayor Ridenour and the City of Muncie have closed on a deal to acquire 13 more acres of land for a yet to be named park currently referred to as either Tillpond or Southwest Park on the city’s southwest side.
This sale has been almost a year in the making. Mayor Ridenour announced the plan in early December of 2020. The $25,000 purchase is part of Mayor Ridenour’s push to improve public parks and green space in the City of Muncie by using money from his office’s EDIT Funds to pay for the additional land.
Mayor Ridenour’s plans will include converting the 5.6-acre pond in the acquired area into an ADA-compliant public fishing lake with multiple fishing piers including an ADA-compliant fishing pier. There is also a hope to create a nature trail around the fishing lake with a nature center on the property as well.
“I didn’t want it to become a ‘pay lake,’ a private pay lake,” Mayor Ridenour told Indiana Public Radio News in December of 2020 when he announced plans for the purchase. “I like an urban fishing lake with lots of trees and paths that walk through the trees. And, if we can get lucky, maybe come up with some funding for a nature learning center of some type.”
Mayor Ridenour said he and his team are still in the process of getting the funding together for his planned improvements to Southwest Park. With park revitalization projects done for 2021 and planned for 2022, Mayor Ridenour said this will likely be a 2023 project for the parks department.
Related article below.
Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour Secures Option to Purchase 13 Acres for New City Park
