Carmel Clay Central Park
Award of Merit: Public Works
The $55 million Carmel Clay Central Park reflects the vision of community leaders, architects and hundreds of taxpayers in the north suburban community.
Their goal was to create a unique park that would provide an enriching, enjoyable escape through recreation, fitness and nature.
• The nature area features a 6.5-acre fishing lagoon and boardwalk; woodland garden; ravine overlooks; activity lawn; 60 acres of woods; and 4 mi of trails that connect to the Monon Greenway, a popular regional trail for joggers, pedestrians and others.
• The aqua park features 10 acres comprised of zero-depth activity pool; two water slides; lazy river; interactive water features; six-lane pool; deep pool with plunge slide; 1-meter diving board; kiddie pool; tot slide; sand playground; and concession stands.
• The fitness/lifestyle center, called the Monon Center, comprised of two brick-and-limestone structures joined by an enclosed walkway.
The West Building houses 115,000 sq ft of recreational space outfitted with dance studio; group fitness studios; and other spaces. The East Building is comprised of classrooms, art studio, computer lab, terrace and banquet facilities with catering kitchen.
Farmland to Parkland
The 161 acres of green space began as low, poorly draining farmland and woodland area bisected by the Monon Greenway. The planners recognized the Greenway as the heart of the park, and for that reason the Monon Center straddles the Greenway, giving the hundreds of daily users access to the park’s features.
Many sustainable elements are present in the Central Park project.
For instance, the roof is designed to be energy efficient, and the lighting and HVAC systems are controlled for maximum energy savings. Half the Monon Center’s façade is performance-tinted glass, reducing the need for interior lighting.
An additional sustainable element is the park’s ecological water filtration system. Gray water from the aqua park does not drain into the community’s sanitary sewers. Instead, it is flushed to the onsite, man-made ponds and wetlands where natural percolation filters the water for re-use.
Planners chose the locations and plants for the wetlands and bioswells that naturally diffuse the aqua park’s waste water as well as the runoff from the park’s roads and parking lot.
The park’s location might have been the biggest obstacle because it was surrounded on three sides by residential neighborhoods. Residents were invited to a meeting before construction began to discuss noise, dust and traffic.
Jury Comments: “The total size is 161 acres: Now that’s a park! The place has hundreds of uses. It’s a unique project to create a beautiful recreational space that is unlikely matched by many others across the United States.”
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