The new Rotary Park pays tribute to manufacturing. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

By Lasca Randels
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Warsaw Rotary Park will take place at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.

The park’s water fountain can accommodate dogs with a collection basin at the base. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

The park is set in a triangular space located at the intersection of West Center and West Market streets, near the entrance of Boggs Edition in Warsaw.

Groundbreaking for the park took place in September 2017, with construction of the park project completed in phases. The park celebrates the Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary and its partnership with the City of Warsaw. 

The park was made possible through donations and redevelopment money, according to Warsaw Senior Assistant City Planner Justin Taylor, with the vast majority being donations. Engraved bricks were also sold to help raise money for the park.

“We were able to do a lot of the work in-house by the Warsaw Parks Department and the Warsaw City Street Department, which was a big help,” Taylor said. 

The parks department built the shelter at the park, and the street department did the sidewalks. 

Businesses and organizations that donated money, services or items for Rotary Park include the K21Health Foundation,  Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Kosciusko County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission, Mike Lewis of Lewis Salvage, Warsaw Parks & Recreation Department, Warsaw Public Works Department, Master Gardeners, Rotary Club, Juergen Voss of Open Air Garden Center and Chris Harrison of Indiana American Water. 

The park features a covered pavilion, cog monument and rock climbing boulders. Bike racks were placed at the park Thursday, Sept. 24. 

The park also contains a unique water fountain.

“You can drink out of the fountain or fill a water bottle there,” Taylor said. “But there’s also a basin at the bottom where your dog can drink out of it.”

Taylor said that although Rotary Park is not technically a dog park, they wanted to have that feature available for dog owners.

“That was something we consciously did for those dog owners,” Taylor explained. “We wanted to add that to make it a little more special.”

Rotary Park will be part of the Warsaw Parks Department system and along the Warsaw/Winona Lake Walk + Ride route.

A view from inside the pavilion. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

The park has bike rack and water fountain. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

The park has a climbing wall. InkFreeNews Photo by Dan Spalding.