Columbus Park Board meetings are moving to the FairOaks Mall for the rest of 2021 as the city resumes efforts to transform the facility into a health, wellness, sports and recreation center for the city.
The city announced the move to the facility that will be known under the new name of NexusPark. Park board meetings will be placed near the center of the main corridor for future meetings.
In December 2018, Columbus finalized the purchase of the 35.36-acre FairOaks Mall property at 25th Street and Central Avenue for $5.9 million. The city put up approximately $4 million, or 75% of the property’s appraised value.
CRH contributed $1.3 million, or 25% of the appraised value. Additionally, the Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County committed to providing $450,000, which was the difference between the selling price and the appraised value.
The city has said it will move moving the parks department offices from the current location at Donner Park to NexusPark.
NexusPark is described as a “multi-use health, wellness and recreation campus,” by the city and hospital.
In an earlier announcement, the city stated the NexusPark campus will include:
An indoor sports fieldhouse
Columbus Parks administrative, activity and community spaces
Retail
Restaurants
CRH medical and wellness offices
The hospital’s initial phase is planned at the building’s west end, with the city’s renovations for parks administrative, support and programming space, and work toward the planned fieldhouse. All three components are tentatively set for completion in 2023.
The city’s side of the project is divided into two current phases. Phase 1A involves the indoor sports fieldhouse. 1A’s funding will utilize a Local Income Tax Lease-Purchase bond, which will have no effect on property taxes. The project will also be submitted under the American Rescue Plan for an economic development grant.
Phase 1B involves the parks department’s administrative, programmable and support spaces. This includes offices, fitness areas, locker rooms and activity spaces. 1B’s funding will use park bonds backed by property taxes. Part of this will go to the parks administration space and part will go toward renovations of Donner Center at a later date.
The tentative project schedule for the fieldhouse and parks administrative space (running concurrently) is as follows:
Design development: June-October of 2021
Construction bidding: Spring 2022
Groundbreaking: Early summer 2022
Project completion: Summer-fall 2023
Columbus Parks Director Mark Jones said that part of the overall project will include changes to Donner Center and Donner Park. However, the initial phases do not include renovations to Donner Center, as work at the FairOaks mall site needs to be complete prior to those renovations.
