Central Park Sports Complex

Hosted by Fundraising Brick

Engraved Brick Order Deadline: March 20, 2024

For additional information regarding our engraved brick campaign please contact
Lacey Lies at, laceyl@independenceks.gov office 620-301-0360; cell 316-312-6148.

Independence, Kansas has always been a community in the trust sense of the word. Hearty, dedicated, friendly people joining together for a common cause- be it commercial, civic, educational, recreational, spiritual, vocational, or medical. We are neighbors. Family. And we stand together for the benefit of each other.

The City of Independence, in partnership with Independence Recreation Commission, is investing in a new Central Park Sports Complex, to expand and improve upon the current complex, consisting of four baseball/softball fields, a concession stand, restroom facility, and basketball court. These improvements are driven by several primary community needs and goals.

Layout
The current sports field layout needs to be addressed to improved safety and access to support services and conveniences. The backstops of each field do not meet up, so it requires additional staff to supervise, requires participants to walk through traffic congested areas to access support services and fields, and does not lend itself well to support families with multiple children playing simultaneously. The oldest field was built in the 1940’s and has served our community well over the last 8 decades. The new layout fourplex design will align with our communities current and future needs for decades to come.

Parking
The available parking is underdeveloped and unstructured, raising major safety issues and concerns. This new plan incorporates paved and marked ADA accessible parking areas and pathways to features that will alleviate much of the traffic congestion due to cars being parked on North Park Blvd, and significantly reduces a serious safety concern.

Programming
There is an increased need to incorporate soccer fields within the Central Park Sports Complex, including support services for parking and restrooms/concessions. Since there are not dedicated fields for each sport, soccer and flag football are also played on the current four baseball fields. This is particularly troublesome because the playing surfaces do not get adequate downtown to recoup from each sports’ season and significantly drives up the cost of maintenance and potential for injury of sports participants. Other issues arise when one sport begins while the next is still underway. Addressing dedicated fields for each sport will also increase participation for both youth and adults. The new plan allows for an increase of one ball field for a total of 5 baseball/softball, 5 dedicated soccer fields, and a multi-use field.

Flood Mitigation
The existing ball fields need to be moved to higher elevations to reduce impact of flood-prone areas. Due to a major flooding event in 2019, there are currently no lights on the fields, further limiting availability for field usage. Additionally, the electrical infrastructure is not safely located out of the floodplain and needs to be completely redone and moved to higher ground before it is put back into use. This serious safety concern will be addressed in the new Central Park Sports Complex.

Healthy Habits
Montgomery County, Kansas is the 4^th unhealthiest county in Kansas according to the 2019 County Health Rankings. Throughout the project design phases, this has been a focal point of concern. This centralized sporting complex, easily accessible by pedestrians, cyclers, and motorists, would provide opportunities this community has not had access to before, such as a 1-mile perimeter walking trail, batting cages, pickleball courts, additional basketball courts, and outdoor fitness court. Additionally, completion of this project will provide safe parking and ADA accessibility to all sporting fields, allowing kids and spectators to safely walk throughout the complex without worry of vehicular traffic. Fields will finally be accessible to those with disabilities; participants, coaches, and spectators, a long-awaited improvement for this community.

The revitalized and transformed complex will serve as a community-focused and family-oriented venue, maximizing the opportunities for participation in sports and free fitness.

Upon completion, the project will provide Independence with a community resource to benefit:

 The proposed project is estimated to cost $10.7 million dollars.

There is considerable excitement and enthusiasm for accomplishing the ambitious goal of rejuvenating and transforming the Central Park Sports Complex. A dedicated team of community volunteers with a shared vision has already come together to explore potential sources of funding with very encouraging early responses. There is much more to be done and there will be numerous opportunities for other community leader to be involved.

By joining together, we will revitalize and transform the Central Park Sports Complex for future generations. We will provide increased opportunities for youth, inspire healthy lifestyle choices, and stimulate economic development and tourism. By working together, we can make this happen! Now is the time to act!

To begin, complete the required fields indicated by the *, then enter your inscription and click on the next button at the bottom of the form: You will be directed to the confirmation page to confirm your inscription. After you have confirmed your inscription, click the submit form button at the bottom right of the page. Please enter the text exactly as you want it to appear on the brick.  You do not need to center the text; the laser software will automatically center the inscription. If you would like to order more than one brick you will need to fill out a new order form for each brick that you would like to order.