Designs for Zionsville’s newest park are starting to take final shape.
Jarod Logsdon, superintendent of Zionsville’s Department of Parks and Recreation, told members of the park board in March that plans for the Carpenter Nature Preserve are moving toward completion. The preserve is just west of U.S. 421 and south of Ind. 32.
“We are heavy into design and are finalizing the conceptual layout of the pavilion where the restroom will be,” Logsdon said. “We’ve been visiting the site as we finalize design and necessary surveys.”
The park board approved a change order for site work on Logsdon’s recommendation.
“Once we got into the field, it was identified that we’re going to need additional topographical surveying, so this requires additional services from a surveying company beyond the scope of what was planned in the original contract agreement with (planning firm) REA,” Logsdon said. “This will provide additional topography and surveying for areas where amenities are actually going to be placed, because between the master plan and phase one there has been a little bit of rearranging. Not too much, but it just makes for a better layout and a more user-friendly experience.”
The change order included $20,880 for additional services, funded by the Carpenter Nature Preserve bond. The bond included planning for contingencies, and the park remains within budget.
Logsdon said the department expects to bid the project this summer.
Carpenter Nature Preserve, formerly Wolf Run Golf Course, is a 215-acre preserve designed to be a regional destination, including a nature center, trails, boardwalks, a nature-inspired playground and outdoor classrooms. The preserve will also include an overlook of Eagle Creek, as well as enhanced wetlands, woodlands and prairies.
The land was purchased in 2021 by Jim and Nancy Carpenter, who came up with the vision to preserve the area for future generations.
In May of 2023, the Zionsville Town Council purchased the property for $4.52 million via a bond for the preserve and to fund the cost of engineering, surveys and construction documents for the first phase of construction.
The first phase of the Carpenter Nature Preserve is expected to be completed by late 2025 or early 2026.
Learn more at zionsville-in.gov/733/Carpenter-Nature-Preserve.
