(Michigan City, IN) - Major upgrades will begin soon at a park in Michigan City as, according to park department officials, Water Tower Park will be renovated thanks to slightly more than $1 million in grants.

 

The project will include the installation of new inclusive play equipment, a steel slide for those with cochlear implants, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, ground-level tactile play panels, a new picnic shelter, an ADA-accessible drinking fountain, a new basketball court, and an off-street parking lot with 12 parking spaces. Three of those spaces will also be ADA-accessible. 

 

In addition, an ADA-accessible route will be constructed connecting the parking lot to the drinking fountain, picnic shelter, and all play areas.

 

The project will include repairs to the fencing on the east ball diamond and removal of the fencing and backstop on the west diamond, which will serve as the new parking lot.

 

The Michigan City Park Department will use Community Development Block Grant funds of $775,000 and a federally funded Land and Water Conservation Fund grant of $250,000 for the improvements.

 

Construction will begin the first week of May and should be completed by Labor Day, officials said. For more information, contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 219-873-1506 or at www.emichigancity.com