Fishers White River Park at 96th and Allisonville Road set to open next summer
White River Park in Fishers will have 2.5 miles of trails, a kayak launch, two overlook boardwalks and a creek splashing area, city officials said Wednesday.
The nature area will be on 120-acres next to the river northwest of the Allisonville Road and 96th Street intersection. The primary gravel trail will lead to Fishers Heritage Park at 106th and Allisonville.
Fishers Director of Recreation and Wellness Jake Reardon-McSoley said the park will “provide our community with unparalleled access to the White River.”
“We want this park to be a sanctuary where residents can escape the daily grind and reconnect with nature,” he said in a news release. Construction should start in the fall and the park could open next summer.
The park has been in the planning stages for three years and will be next to $135 million mixed-use River Place project of apartments, townhouses and retail spaces being built by CRG Residential.
The park will be paid for largely with $4.7 million from a state of Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI, grant. It will feature native plants, year-round bathrooms and a creek stomping area where visitors can walk into shallow water and explore. The total cost will be about $6 million.
The city could add other amenities that residents surveyed said they would like, such as a rope course, tree fort or grassy pavilion in future phases of development, said Ashley Elrod, a Fishers spokeswoman.
“For now we'll build what our budget allows,” she said.
The looping gravel trail will link with an existing trail at Heritage Park and give users access to an $11 million pedestrian bridge under construction over the river at 106th Street that connects to Carmel’s Hazell Landing Park.
“Fishers White River Park is a transformational project that will significantly enhance connectivity across our city, offering our residents access to beautiful parkland,” Mayor Scott Fadness said in a news release. “This new park is a cornerstone of our vision to revitalize the Allisonville Road corridor, creating a vibrant and thriving community space everyone can enjoy.”
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418 or email him at john.tuohy@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook and X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fishers White River Park set to open next summer
