City, MCCSC Dedicate New Park at Broadview Learning Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2007

For more information contact:
Mick Renneisen, Director, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, 349-3711
Maria K. Heslin, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-3569

Bloomington, IN - As part of his ongoing Community Collaborations initiative, Mayor Mark Kruzan announced today that the City of Bloomington will hold a ceremony on Wednesday, May 23 to celebrate the grand opening of a new park and playground constructed through a partnership between the City and the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC). The event will take place at Broadview Park, 740 W. Graham Dr. at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

"The City, via Parks and Recreation, and the MCCSC have had a long-standing, cooperative agreement for use of each others' facilities," Kruzan said. "This results in greater citizen access to community facilities and minimizes the costs associated with duplicate facilities. The new playground and park amenities provide additional fitness opportunities for our youth and enhance our overall quality of life and community beautification."

The City entered into an agreement with MCCSC in 2004 to replace the playground equipment at the former Broadview Elementary School with new play equipment and to install site amenities including a shelter house, park benches and tables, and a drinking fountain to enhance visitor enjoyment of the area.

Skip Sluder, President of the Broadview Neighborhood Association, said, "The neighborhood association was very active in working with MCCSC to see that the Broadview School area remained a vital part of the community. We're delighted the partnership between MCCSC and Parks and Recreation has resulted in this park, which is a great benefit to our neighborhood."

Special guests scheduled to make brief remarks at the ceremony include Kruzan, Sluder, City Parks and Recreation Director Mick Renneisen, Bob Woolford from the City's Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) Department, and Mike Scherer from MCCSC.

The HAND Department supplied a $125,000 Community Development Block Grant to the Parks and Recreation Department to purchase accessible playground equipment, resurface the existing basketball court, build a wood shelter house and plant trees.