City Invites Public to Sigma Phi Gamma Park Tour Monday to Shape Grant Project

Hartford City is asking residents to help shape the planned overhaul of Sigma Phi Gamma Park. City leaders will lead a public tour of the park on Monday, Oct. 26.

Food starts at 5 p.m. with hot dogs, chips and water. The walking tour starts at 5:30 p.m. and should last about an hour.

Mayor Dan Eckstein and Parks Superintendent Dustin George announced the event in a Facebook Live video from the park Wednesday morning.

"We need input. We want involvement," Eckstein said.

What to expect

George will walk visitors through the park and explain the current plan. He said the city will bring visual aids showing the new amenities it hopes to add.

George said the city's plan may not match what residents want. He asked people to come and say so.

He invited neighbors, families, children and grandchildren. He said the city wants to hear from kids, since their ideas may differ from adults'.

"I want to make sure for generations to come that this is the park and the project that everyone wanted," George said.

Eckstein said the forecast calls for weather in the low 70s.

The grant behind the project

The tour is part of the city's push for a state grant to rebuild the park. The project totals $1.5 million. The grant would cover half. Hartford City needs $750,000 in local commitments by mid-December.

The plan presented to the Blackford County Council on Oct. 14 includes a splash pad, new playground equipment, zip lines for children, pickleball courts, larger restrooms and paths that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Read the full story on the grant, the funding timeline and how matching grants work: Hartford City Seeks $750,000 Local Match to Land Sigma Phi Gamma Park Grant

If you go

• What: Public tour and feedback session for the Sigma Phi Gamma Park project

• When: Monday, Oct. 26. Food at 5 p.m. Tour at 5:30 p.m.

• Where: Sigma Phi Gamma Park, Hartford City

• Cost: Free