In 2026, the township also will create a new entrance to the park via Paragon Road, restoring more than an acre of green space and adding parking, sidewalks and asphalt trails.
Washington Twp. RecPlex Recreation Director Mark Metzger said next year’s improvements will deliver the most dramatic infrastructure changes of a multi-phase park master plan, one that started last year with restoring the park’s front ponds and adding a new shelter and a fountain.
“It’s about bringing the community together, enhancing access to the park and (creating) a heightened awareness of its amenities,” Metzger told Dayton Daily News.
Cost for the project is estimated at $5.2 million and will be offset by $1 million from the state via the Community Investment Act and a more than $1 million grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission’s Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program.
Washington Twp., which initially planned to carry out second phase improvements during this year and next, recently shifted all improvements to 2026 to allow for greater efficiency and potential cost savings, Metzger said.
Even as major construction was paused this year, the township tackled smaller projects, he said. Crews removed a large mound near the Gateway Plaza, completed drainage improvements and started sprucing up the A-frame shelter with a new roof and skylights.
A third phase of park improvements planned for 2027 will focus on the center of the park with the addition of a four-season shelter house, Metzger said.
Additional parking, a playing field upgrade and a new cul-de-sac are on tap for 2028 and improvements to parking lots and traffic flow are planned for 2029 and 2030, he said.
The township plans to garner further input on park improvements when it launches work on a new master plan sometime in the next few years, Metzger said.
“This is all coming out of the park master plan we did in 2019,” he said. “We want to keep touching base with that and see if the community has changed anything, or if there’s a different amenity that might be better suited for the park.”
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