Plans to move the skate park from the current Boggs Industrial Park location to an area on the west end of Richardson-Dubois Park, near the Dollar General Store on East Market Street, are on hold for now.  InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels.

By Lasca Randels
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Mantis Skate Park will remain at its current location … at least for now.

The announcement was made at the City of Warsaw Parks and Recreation Board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 21. 

A potential plan to move Mantis Skate Park to Richardson-Dubois Park, along East Market Street, has been in place for some time.

“As you know we applied for a over a quarter of a million dollar grant for the relocation of the Mantis Skate Park. Unfortunately, our grant for that skate park relocation was not granted through the DNR,” Warsaw Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer told the parks board.

The relocation of Mantis Park was included in the 2022 five-year master plan, contingent on the DNR grant, a K21 Health Foundation grant and the parks budget.

“I did approach K21 about the $150,000 grant that they had given toward matching funds for the DNR grant. We were looking to possibly just do the pad and move the skate park over there, but according to their criteria we’re not allowed to use those funds when we change the scope of the project,” Plummer said.

At this time, the plan is to rearrange the skate park at its current location at 400 Little League Drive, Warsaw, in Boggs Industrial Park.

Plummer said the center ramps need to be refurbished. 

“It’s really not the surfaces that are bad out there, it’s the framework,” Plummer said.

Parks Board Vice President Larry Ladd asked if a reason was given as to why the grant application was denied. Plummer responded that there were a lot of applications and a long list of criteria, and the parks department’s application just didn’t score high enough.

“I’d just like to thank K21 for, you know, allowing us to apply for that DNR grant with their matching funds as well as Wildman’s donated $2,500 and Andrew Scholl $2,000, so I’d like to thank them for their efforts in allowing us to at least pursue that grant opportunity,” Plummer said.

The next regular meeting will be 5:15 p.m. Oct. 19. 

From left, parks department board members Noemi Ponce and Jill Beehler. InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels