Ribbon-cutting ceremony for South Bend park upgrade

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On Wednesday, South Bend Venues, Parks, and Arts hosted a ribbon-cutting event kicking off the multi-year parks upgrade initiative.

The $50 million project will upgrade 18 city neighborhood parks across South Bend.

Athletic courts and fields will be improved and new benches, trash cans, restrooms, pavilions, and playgrounds will be added.

Community feedback, ParkScore recommendations, and National Recreation and Park Association statistics aided the development of the proposed projects list.

"Each one of these parks are critical in their own way, shape, or form,” Aaron Perri, Executive Director of Venues, Parks, and Arts said. “We know a community's safer when people are coming together and getting to know one another in these shared spaces. The benefits are almost immeasurable and, quite frankly, necessary to keep a city like South Bend contributing at its best way."

The initiative is funded through a mix of bonds, grants, and tax increment financing programs.