Many Bloomington locals gathered for the long-awaited park opening of switchyard Park in Bloomington. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Saturday, Nov. 16th,  along with a grand reveal of the newly-lit park. Attendees included guest speakers Mayor John Hamilton, Architect, Rundell Ernstberger Associates Principle Cecil Penland, and Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department Administrator Paula McDevitt.

On Sunday, Nov. 17th,  guests listened to live music by the Bloomington Community Band and Busman’s Holiday, went on golf cart tours of the park, and played games outside the pavilion. Attendees also had the opportunity to watch demonstrations in the new railroad-themed skatepark or get their faces painted.

Switchyard Park includes:

• Pavilion; an indoor rental space spanning over 11,000-square-feet
• Stage; an outdoor performance stage which can host up to 8,000 people
• Community Gardens with 39 raised garden beds available for rent
• Courts; four pickleball, three bocce ball and one basketball court
• Fitness stations; nine located across the park
• Splash Pad with water spray features and shaded seating
• Playground; including slides, climbing net, balance beam, interactive music equipment and swings
• Skate Park, with 30 obstacles spanning over 12,580-square-feet
• Dog Park; two fenced dog areas; one for more small dogs and the other for large dogs which spans over almost five acres.

 

Originally the McDoel Railroad Switchyard, the railroad hub was active from 1892 until 2000 and the last train left in 2004. The property was purchased by the City of Bloomington back in 2009.

After the TIF funded 34 million dollars towards the project,  the construction began in 2017 and it took a year to install the infrastructure. In May, 2018, the City of Bloomington broke ground and construction began. Now, 10 years after purchasing the land, the park has been officially opened.

Connecting the land to its history, the park was named Switchyard Park. The City of Bloomington has also transformed the old limestone railroad maintenance office off Grimes Lane into a City of Bloomington Police Department substation. The park, designed by Rundell Ernstberger Associates, includes a total of 65.29 acres and will have 600 trees and 2,000 reforestation seedlings.

The performance area, activity lawns, and the dog park are not yet opened to the public. The park is due to be complete in May 2020, depending on weather.

For more information please visit https://bloomington.in.gov/parks/parks/switchyard-park