Parks Department Hosts Public Input Sessions for Switchyard Park Property Planning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2012

For more information contact

Dave Williams, Operations Divison Director, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, (812) 349-3706 or [williamd@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:williamd@bloomington.in.gov]

[[image:11754,right]|http://www.switchyardpark.org]Bloomington, IN - The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department invites all interested members of the public to visit city hall this Thursday, April 26 to share ideas for the development of the Switchyard Park Property, located at the south end of the B-Line Trail in Bloomington.

There are two scheduled public input sessions, held in an informal, open house-type format. The first session will be held from noon until 1:30 p.m. in the council chambers in City Hall, 401 N. Morton St. The second session is scheduled from 5:30 - 7 p.m. in the City Hall atrium.

The planning and design team is made up of representatives from the city's Parks and Recreation Department; Rundell Ernstberger Associates; Butler, Fairman & Seufert, Inc.; Eden Collaborative; Greenstreet, Ltd.; Bledsoe, Riggert & Guerrettaz; Bruce Carter Associates; and Eco Logic, LLC. Several other city departments, and more than 25 public and private stakeholders, serve on the master plan's technical review and steering committees.

The master plan for the development of the former McDoel Railroad Switchyard property is intended to address not only environmental cleanup, but also aesthetic and beneficial features of a community park and greenspace for the recreating public.

There are several ways to submit ideas, comments, and questions regarding the Switchyard Park Property:

1. Attend either session of the public open house in City Hall on April 26.
2. Attend the Senior Expo at the Twin Lakes Recreation Center on May 2 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., where the design team is hosting a table in the expo hall.
3. Visit with design team representatives and share your ideas at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market on May 12, May 19, June 2, or June 16.
4. Be a part of the design workshop on May 14 at the Bloomington Convention Center. An open mic session will be held from 5 - 6:30 p.m. to obtain public input.
5. See the first public presentation of conceptual designs, created from information gathered about the site as well as feedback from stakeholders and community members, on May 17 from 6 - 7 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.
6. [Follow the master plan process on Facebook|https://www.facebook.com/SwitchyardPark] at "Switchyard Park Property Master Plan".|
7. [Visit the master plan Web site at www.switchyardpark.org.|http://www.switchyardpark.org]
8. Visit the Community Project Space, by appointment only, located in the Eden Collaborative Office at 115 N. College Avenue, Suite 213. Contact Adam Thies at [adam@edencollaborative.com|adam@edencollaborative.com] or call (317) 750-0814 to arrange time to visit.

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