While New Albany is stunning all year round, its beauty really blooms in the spring. Leaves on trees, buds on flowers, friends taking walks, families riding their bikes and everyone enjoying the city’s vast and wonderful award-winning park system.
New Albany prides itself on being home to more than 2,000 acres of green space and 55-plus miles of leisure trails. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy from walking paths to wildlife habitats and thought-provoking historic sites. It’s exciting to note that this spring there will be new additions to welcome to our great outdoors.
Anticipation continues to build with the investment and development of the city’s largest park, Taylor Farm Park. Funding for this project stands at $2.4 million dollars. Taylor Farm Park encompasses 100 acres and is bounded by Rocky Fork Creek, Dublin-Granville Road, Harlem Road and State Route 161. It includes a former farm site that dates back to the 1800s. Nature lovers must make this site a destination, as it preserves and showcases wetlands that are home to a range of waterfowl and native plant species. Each visit to the park will bring new sights and experiences. The city’s completion goal for phase one of Taylor Farm Park is set for spring with subsequent phases to follow.
Another addition to New Albany’s park system includes honoring those who fought to preserve our freedom. As part of the second phase of Rose Run Park, a reimagined New Albany Veterans Memorial will be built next to Founders Field, the city’s historic cemetery behind Village Hall. The memorial will add richness to the city’s green space network and will include a prominent sculptural wall that recognizes each branch of the military, serving as a contemplative space for veterans and their families. This will be a significant and special part of the second phase of Rose Run Park, which will build upon the stream restoration, walking paths and gathering spaces that were part of the initial phase of the park. The project is scheduled to begin construction in fall 2023.
Meanwhile, work continues on the City of New Albany’s goal to update all city-owned neighborhood parks. These parks and playgrounds are convenient, walkable and embedded into the fabric of the community. They are places to be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities.
Inviting and engaging playgrounds encourage physical activity, imaginative play and social interaction. New play equipment has been installed in four neighborhood parks. The equipment has a focus on movement and contains non-prescriptive elements so children can use their imaginations to play in new ways. Shade structures, seating areas and picnic tables have also been installed to foster social interaction and give parents needed comforts while their children play. One of the most notable improvements is that all playgrounds have poured-in-place rubber surfaces that are accessible and safe for people of all ages and abilities. Two more neighborhood playgrounds are scheduled to be updated in 2023.
The City of New Albany values working with the community to connect residents to the outdoors. The park improvements that are being made today are a direct result of extensive community engagement, input and ideas received from residents during the Engage New Albany Strategic Plan and the New Albany Park framework planning processes. This is great example of how the community’s plans can come alive to create spaces that inspire and connect us to one another and to the outdoors.
Adrienne Joly is the City of New Albany Director of Administrative Services. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
