FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Fort Wayne leaders celebrated the first steps of a reconceived master plan with a groundbreaking ceremony at Packard Park on Tuesday.

The groundbreaking follows five years of planning and public input from the surrounding neighborhoods. The $1.9 million project is supported with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and an Investing in Neighborhoods Now (INN) grant.

The park will receive the following additions:

• Two new playgrounds; one for pre-school and one for elementary age kids
• An event lawn and plaza
• Significant landscaping improvements, including planting shade and ornamental trees
• A 1/8 mile perimeter walking path and new pedestrian connections to the neighborhood

The park will retain:

• Existing covered open-air pavilion and restrooms
• Beasley Outdoor Futsal Courts installed in 2018

The project is expected to be complete next summer.