The back of one of many painted benches resting in front of the Indianola Presbyterian Church’s lawn to create a “pocket park” for the surrounding community. Credit: Nicole DeFabio | Lantern Reporter
After months of community-driven efforts, a pocket park situated in front of the Indianola Presbyterian Church — located at 1970 Waldeck Ave. — is set to have a grand opening before fall semester ends, project leads Nora Gerber and Camille Snyder said.
Pocket parks are small, open spaces in urban areas that provide a safe and inviting environment to surrounding community members, according to the National Recreation and Park Association website. In Waldeck Avenue’s case, brightly colored benches, picnic tables, hammock zones and local art have all been installed in front of the church.
Though the pocket park has been open to the public since renovations began in May, per previous Lantern reporting, Gerber said final touches are currently being added ahead of its official opening. The grand opening will likewise include live music and food vendors, she said.
“You can use the park now, but we call it a grand opening because we want to throw a party to recognize all of the hard work that has gone into it,” said Gerber, the project’s chief manager and executive director of the University District Organization. “We want to recognize all of the volunteers, the Neighborhood Design Center and the city council who helped fund it.”
A specific date for the park’s grand opening has not yet been announced, but Gerber said she estimates that it could be anywhere from late October to early November.
“I wish I knew a date, but hopefully in the next month or so before it gets too cold,” Gerber said.
Snyder, the University District Organization’s creative projects manager, said the pocket park was designed to highlight the limited amount of green space in a largely student-populated area far from campus.
“People living there would be going north or south, or even to the Oval, just for green space,” Snyder said. “Part of the goal was to offer a community space where people could host live events or even just hang out.”
Both Snyder and Gerber said the most crucial aspect of the project’s success has been the help from community volunteers.
“We could not have done this without all of the volunteers that have come out, whether they’ve helped out one time or multiple times,” Gerber said. “It’s been a beautiful thing to watch it all come together.”
Notably, Snyder said she hopes to incorporate an interactive element into the park’s grand opening by allowing volunteers and community members to decorate benches.
“People can add their mark, especially for the volunteers that worked so hard all summer,” Snyder said. “We want to give them an opportunity to show how hard they worked.”
