The $3 million project will build a new sports field, tennis and pickleball courts
INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indy Parks celebrated the start of the 2025 construction season by breaking ground on a $3 million project at Tarkington Park. The project will bring a new multi-use football and soccer field, a walking path, and new pickleball and tennis courts to Midtown. The new field will be named after Richard “Coach Nell” Hamilton to honor his legacy of coaching and mentoring young athletes. Funding for the project comes from a $80 million Lilly Endowment Grant to Indy Parks which is part of the more than $140 million being invested in Indy Parks amenities.
“Celebrating the new athletic facilities that will soon benefit residents at Tarkington Park is a fitting way to kick off yet another historic construction season for Indy Parks,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Thanks to the generosity of the Lilly Endowment, residents of all ages will have new spaces to play, be active, and gather at this beloved park and gathering space on the north side.”
Historic investments are being made in a wide range Indy Parks amenities including more than $18 million going toward sports amenities to improve community access to sports facilities. In addition to the new sports field and courts being added at Tarkington Park, other upcoming sports projects include:
- Frederick Douglass Park Sports Fields: $1.6 million renovations of the football and baseball fields that will break ground this spring.
- Stanley Strader Park Football Field: Completed in late 2024, this $880,000 project will open for public use in the spring of 2025.
- Indianapolis World Sports Park: A $2.7 million project is building a new restroom and concessions facility and a paved parking lot to support existing sports leagues and expand capacity for tournaments and other field usage. This project will be completed for public use in the spring of 2025.
“The revitalization of Tarkington Park is a testament to what we can achieve through collaboration,” said City-County Councilor John Barth, District 7. “This investment is not just about athletic fields– it’s about people. It’s about creating a vibrant, welcoming space where families can gather, children can play, and our community can thrive for generations to come.”
Indy Parks will also be kicking off construction projects with groundbreakings at Chapel Hill Park on February 27 at 11 am and at Franklin Township Community Park on March 5 at 11 am. Together these projects represent more than $8 million to improve park amenities across the city.
“Indy Park is delivering an unprecedented level of investment into our city’s public spaces, and the 2025 construction season is on track to be our biggest yet,” said Indy Parks Director Phyllis Boyd. “The improvements at Tarkington Park will provide high quality amenities for some of our resident’s favorite sports from football and soccer to tennis and pickleball.”
Indy Parks will host a public meeting on March 31 from 5-7 pm at the MLK Center just north of Tarkington Park to present plans and receive community feedback on additional future improvements for the park. A partnership between the Lilly Endowment and Butler University will provide Indy Parks with additional funding to replace the playground on the northwest side of Tarkington Park along with other enhancements in a future phase of construction.
Project renderings and pictures from the groundbreaking are available here.
