READI 2.0 to support next phase of NexusPark in Columbus
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The Indiana Economic Development Corp. on Thursday announced that a $1 million grant from the latest round of the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI 2.0, will be used to support an expansion of NexusPark in Columbus.
The $4.2 million expansion will add synthetic turf on six outdoor ball diamonds at the adjacent Lincoln Park and is designed to complement future additional outdoor amenities, including greenspace, trails, lighting and outdoor restrooms.
NexusPark is a 550,000-square-foot health, wellness and recreation facility that was the result of the redevelopment of the former FairOaks Mall in Columbus.
The original project received READI 1.0 funds and included the development of the Circle K Fieldhouse and created a regional hub for wellness-related services, administrative offices for the city’s parks and recreation department, and Columbus Regional Health’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine practice.
The fieldhouse opened to the public earlier this year.
“State funding through READI 1.0 magnified the impact we could have on our local residents’ quality of life and give a healthy boost to our sports tourism industry,” Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon said in a news release. “Additional funding from the state through READI 2.0 allows us to grow regional sports tourism and increase both the number of events we can host, as well as improve the quality of play.”
The IEDC said the synthetic turf at Lincoln Park will create new opportunities for indoor and outdoor sporting event combinations and generate an additional $950,000 in annual economic impact.
“Indiana’s READI program has challenged local and regional leaders to think creatively and strategically about their futures, and the NexusPark project is an inspiring example of reuse–transforming an abandoned mall into a regional destination for health and wellness, recreation and economic impact,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg.
Construction on the expansion is slated to begin later this year and be complete by the end of 2025.
Columbus is part of the South Central READI region, led by the Southern Indiana Housing and Development Corp., which has received a total of $60 million in READI funding.