Elaborate children’s playscape in the works for Downtown

Downtown is about to get more kid-friendly.

By next spring, visitors could hear the laughter of children echoing through the air along the Downtown Canal, where Downtown Indy, the city of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Parks Foundation are looking to put in a playscape.

The groups are trying to raise $850,000 to build a play area whose slides and climbing areas blend with the environment north of the USS Indianapolis Memorial and serve the growing number of visitors and Downtown residents.

The catalyst for the playscape came in 2013, with Downtown Indy’s creation of Velocity, a five-year Downtown action plan, according to Bob Schultz, senior vice president of marketing, communications and events at Downtown Indy. The plan found a need for more play areas and a greater “activation” of public spaces, Schultz said.

Brian Sullivan, who has lived along the canal for 16 years, said he and his wife developed the idea for the playscape. They gathered some other residents and approached the Parks Foundation, the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the Cultural Trail and Downtown Indy about developing a play area.

“Everyone got excited with this project,” he said.

“There’s so many young families, moms pushing strollers, and there’s nothing for those young families that’s just for them,” Sullivan said. “It’s kind of a no-brainer to do a high-quality piece at the intersection of the cultural trail and the canal. I have no doubt that it will be a hit.”

Schultz said a playscape also could give families a good reason to come Downtown.

“I’ve been a huge advocate, being a father myself, and there’s no place to play around as far as things to play on and play in,” Schultz said. “My kids come down, and they play on walls and jump on elements that are maybe not necessarily designed for kids.”

The Parks Foundation has led the design phase of the project. A committee of people from the participating agencies and neighbors in the Canal District reviewed conceptual designs selected by Hitchcock Design Group, a Chicago-based firm with an office in Indianapolis.

Unlike a traditional playground, the playscape will blend in more with the natural environment.

“I think the conceptual design does have some slides along the slope. It’s a lot of climbing and sort of like adventure type of play as opposed to traditional playgrounds,” said Jenny Burrough, community affairs director for the Indianapolis Parks Foundation. “It really focuses on a younger audience but is open to multigenerational usage.”

The design for the playscape is about half complete, Burrough said.

Burrough said the fundraising goal is $850,000 from private sources. She said Downtown Indy and the Parks Foundation have just started the initial fundraising and haven’t confirmed any backers.

“It’s really unique for Indianapolis. It supports bigger city efforts of embracing our waterways,” Burrough said.

Burrough and Schultz said they hope to have design and funding in place in the next month. Once that happens, they plan to announce the design of the playscape.

Around the same time, Sullivan said, project proponents will host a community gathering at the Watermark apartments on the canal to get feedback from other neighbors.

“We all talk about how important it is to be attractive and retain young families. There’s no better way than to have a beautifully designed playscape in one of the most photographed areas,” Sullivan said.

Schultz said they would try to break ground on the playscape in the fall. The playscape would open the following spring.

Follow Star reporter Gabby Ferreira on Twitter: @Its_GabbyF.