RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
The master plan for Origin Park envisions a " wide variety of experiences " weaving together new amenities and the natural landscape , Rademacher said .
" First of all , this is a nature park , so everything in the park is driven by how water and ecology interact and then how we use those spaces in a way that doesn ' t take away from the ecology but actually supports it ," she said .
Recreational options will range from paddling to birdwatching . Rademacher said the park ' s approach to recreation is inspired by the vision of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted .
" He saw it as three different things ," she said . " One is sports — physical , active recreation . One is the recreation of socializing with people — seeing and being seen , coming together , community , recreating and building those ties . The third and probably the most important is spiritual recreation or mental recreation — creative recreation — where just being in nature has such a tremendously positive effect on your mind and body and spirit ."
Last year , River Heritage Conservancy opened Croghan Launch , a paddling launch site on Silver Creek . This year , the goals include beginning the construction of an event center ( rendering below ).
Beck said the development of projects such as the event center will help people understand that Origin Park is becoming a reality .
" When we put something out there that ' s the quality of that building , it ' s going to kind of plant the flag for Origin Park so they can see , this is a real project , and they ' re going to see the quality of what it ' s going to be ," he said .
Projects such as the event center and Outdoor Adventure Center will play important roles in the sustainability of Origin Park . These amenities will bring in revenue to support and maintain the park .
" We aim to strike a suitable balance by offering complimentary experiences such as access to the park , pathways , and launches , all while upholding our commitment to maximizing the project ' s self-sustainability ,” Schnurbusch said .