BROWNSTOWN
The Heritage Park committee recently chose an Indiana company to assemble a pavilion on greenspace in the middle of Brownstown.
The Brownstown Town Council agreed to go with Recreation Unlimited of Noblesville, which was the lowest of three bidders at $81,800.
John Nolting, a member of the Heritage Park committee and president of the town council, said the company will order the prefabricated steel structure from Americana Building Products of Salem, Illinois.
That company will be responsible for design and delivery, and a Recreation Unlimited crew will assemble it.
Nolting said he expects it to take eight to 12 weeks to have the pavilion built, and Recreation Unlimited officials said it would take about five days to install.
“The structures were similar for all three of the bids, so it was just really getting what we wanted,” said Joe Reynolds, a member of the Heritage Park committee. “It’s going to be really nice.”
Nolting said the town could have saved $15,000 to have local volunteers or town employees put the structure together. But the committee thought it would be worth the money to have professionals do the work.
The pavilion will be placed on a 40-foot-by-40-foot brick and concrete foundation. Carl Shake, owner of Brownstown Electric Supply Co., has found someone to do the foundation work at no cost to the town. That company also will provide electricity and light poles for the park.
Nolting also praised the efforts of local builder Mike Tormoehlen, whom he said has offered advice and expertise on the pavilion project.
“I can’t say enough for what he’s doing with this project,” Nolting said. “He’s only in town one or two days a week, but he’s really working hard on this project to help us along on this thing.”
The structure’s roof will be metal and have a cupola to match the look of the nearby Brownstown Public Library.
Once the pavilion is constructed, restrooms, a storage area, pillars, landscaping and sidewalks will be added as money becomes available. Nolting said he believes money will come in once people see something being built.
The pavilion will be on a 0.45-acre lot at 121 E. Walnut St. facing the courthouse.
The town purchased that property in 2014 for $45,000. A $155,000 federal grant helped pay for the purchase and the $64,562 cost to demolish the two feed mill buildings and a silo.
The Heritage Park committee sought feedback from the community for potential uses of the site. The idea of an open-air, permanent concrete stage and green space for community events came from the Columbus City Band, which does an annual show out in the open on the courthouse lawn.
With the stage, the band could play under a shelter. Then other events could be conducted there throughout the year. There won’t be any charges to use the facility, but people might have the opportunity to reserve the space.
Plans for building the park were delayed last year after the town was unsuccessful in bids to secure grant money. But a committee of local residents was able to raise about $20,000 in donations on its own, and the project also received a $5,000 Community Impact grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson County.
Then earlier this year, the community was one of seven in Indiana chosen to receive a Place Based Investment grant from the state. Brownstown received $50,000 to begin developing Heritage Park.
The grant comes from a partnership between the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, both overseen by former Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann. Town officials recently signed the grant acceptance paperwork and sent that back to state officials.
Two pieces of property next to the park are for sale, and the town council has discussed the possibility of purchasing those lots.
But the town currently doesn’t have $40,000 to purchase those lots, and grant money can’t be used for that purpose.
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To contribute to the Brownstown Heritage Park Fund, visit the Community Foundation of Jackson County, 107 Community Drive, Seymour, or call 812-523-4483.
Checks also can be mailed to the foundation at P.O. Box 1231, Seymour, IN 47274. Checks should be made payable to “Community Foundation of Jackson County” with “Brownstown Heritage Park Fund” written in the memo.
Anyone interested in volunteering labor once work begins on the park can call Brownstown Town Hall at 812-358-5500.
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