Phase I construction of W . S . Gibbs Memorial Park , located at 4521 Gibbs Road in Avon , went very smoothly over the summer and fall of 2020 , and now our maintenance crew will be working through the winter and spring to get the park ready to open to the public in 2021 !
This new park encompasses about 70 acres , with an additional 70 acres to be developed in future phases . John Hall Construction out of Plainfield spent several months on the property , and the end result of their outstanding work is a paved entrance , drives , and parking lots throughout the park , two ponds totaling 5½ acres , a large hill created from the soil excavated while creating the ponds , bicycle racks , all sorts of earth-moving and drainage work , landscaping , and more .
Meanwhile , our maintenance crew has continued selectively removing invasive , dead , and undesirable trees and plants from the property , leaving the healthy native
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New Park in Avon Scheduled to Open in 2021
trees and plants for park guests to enjoy . They have also cleared out the creek bed , removing choke points and allowing for much better flow of water into the ponds .
We have been working with the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club ( see page 23 ) to design an 18-hole disc golf course on the property , and prairie grasses , turf grass , and trees have been planted throughout the course . Our Park Manager , Jim Holtsclaw , will create signage for the course , and when the weather warms up in the spring , our maintenance crew will install the tee boxes and baskets .
Our crew will also spend the winter and spring constructing about two miles of trails . The trails will be crushed stone and will wind throughout the 70 acres . We ’ ve even chosen trail names , including Walnut Walkway , Bluestem Bend , and – as a tip of the hat to the town in which the park is located – Oriole Stroll . Holtsclaw will create trail markers similar in style to those at McCloud Nature Park .
The large hill on the property will be accessible by trails and will serve as an observational lookout during the warmer months , as well as a fantastic spot to do some sledding when there ’ s snow on the ground . ( Please note : the hill will not be open for sledding during the winter of 2020- 21 . The park is still under construction , and it will not be safe to sled on the hill this winter .)
Two nature-themed playgrounds are coming to W . S . Gibbs Memorial Park – one for kids ages 2-5 , and one for older children . Two shelters , picnic tables , and a fishing pier will also be installed in 2021 .
Our naturalists are already hard at work , planning family programming to be held in the new park after it opens to the public .
Stay tuned to our Facebook page and to HendricksCountyParks . org for updates through the winter and spring , and for an announcement of the Grand Opening of W . S . Gibbs Memorial Park in 2021 !