Construction Continues on Bloomington's New Dog Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2012

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

[Construction of the new dog park at Ferguson Park is scheduled to be complete in early October.|image:12574,right]Bloomington, IN - The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department has broken ground on the dog park at Ferguson Park, 4300 N. Stone Mill Rd.

The park has been home to the city's tree nursery since 2003. The addition of a new entrance, parking area, and fenced enclosure will add a dog park to the 19-acre park.

A generous donation of more than 19 acres of land and $50,000 for a dog park by Steve and Connie Ferguson will allow the parks and recreation department to build a portion of the planned dog park. The first phase of the dog park construction includes a three-acre dog play area enclosed with a five-foot galvanized chain link fence, gravel parking area, drinking fountain, park benches, and dog waste bag stations and receptacles.

The city entered a contest in June in an attempt to win the funds needed to build the entire dog park. Although Bloomington was named a finalist-one of the top 15 vote-getters in the country-in the PetSafe Bark for Your Park online voting contest, the community did not collect enough votes to be named the winner. The city did win from PetSafe a complete set of dog agility equipment, including weave poles, jumps, and tunnels, for use during special events in the new dog park.

"We've heard from Bloomington dog owners that they would like a safe place to play with their dogs, and where the dogs can play off-leash," said Mick Renneisen, director of the parks and recreation department. "We're able to build at least a portion of the dog park we've had planned, thanks to Steve and Connie Ferguson's generous donations of funding and land."

Karin St. John, executive director of the Bloomington Parks Foundation, said that organization has the highest regard and gratitude for the Fergusons, and looks forward to helping establish a quality facility. "The Parks Foundation looks forward to leading a fundraising campaign that will help add amenities to Ferguson Park such as shelters, a dog-washing station, fixed tables with seating, and maybe even some more fun and playful items," St. John said.

Construction of the dog park at Ferguson Park was accelerated when the city received a federal grant to pay for needed repairs of the Griffy Lake dam. The popular, unofficial dog park area below the dam is closed while the dam repairs take place. The city's utilities department estimates the dam repairs may be complete by the end of 2013.

The major earthmoving work at the dog park is already complete, and the gravel parking lot has been installed. Additional work to take place during the next month includes installing rain gardens around the parking lot to help filter dog waste and prevent it from entering nearby Griffy Creek.

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