Town of Borden Awarded $150,000 to Develop South Side of Community Park

Upcoming Project Will Be Fourth from Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Quality of Place Grants Program

NEW ALBANY, Ind. – The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) has selected the Town of Borden as this year’s recipient of its Quality of Place – Pathways to Progress grant, awarding the organization $150,000 to develop the south side of Borden Community Park.

The project includes the installation of an inclusive playground and restroom facility, both of which will be ADA-compliant. The renovations will also include a permanent water source to provide hydration stations for visitors using the nearby Monon South Trail for walking and biking.

Linda Speed, president and CEO of the Community Foundation said, “Our Quality of Place grants program has been a bright spot for so many areas throughout Clark and Floyd counties. As we approach the program’s fourth project in three years, residents can begin to see how they are transforming our region, especially when it comes to inclusivity. When we make our parks, trails, and other public spaces more accessible to our most vulnerable residents, we ensure that our community is more open and welcoming to all.”

The inclusive playground highlights a design that aids children with mobility issues, including sliding, climbing, and sensory stations that meet ADA guidelines. Handicap-accessible swing sets and a ramp for wheelchairs – all of which will be installed on top of soft, rubber flooring and allow for play for all.

The new development will also help accommodate the needs of visitors to the park’s many activities it holds throughout the year, including Concerts by the Creek, Light Up Borden, and the Star Valley Strawberry Festival, which welcomes more than 10,000 guests annually.

“Receiving the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Quality of Place grant is a big win for Borden Community Park and the Town of Borden,” said Kathy Weatherford, Borden’s Community Coordinator. “We have so many community members who devote their time and energy to making Borden Community Park a place for everyone, and because of this grant, we can expand what we have to offer by adding an ADA-accessible playground and restroom facility – a goal that was identified in our five-year Master Park Plan that was established in 2018. Our community and visitors will be ecstatic, and we can’t express how truly grateful we are to the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana for choosing Borden.”

The Community Foundation’s Quality of Place – Pathways to Progress Grants Program, which is in its third full year, focuses on projects by Clark or Floyd County nonprofits that serve people with the least access to safe, high-quality public places and amenities. This includes those community members with income or transportation barriers and/or mobility issues, or physical and/or mental differences.

Since the grants program’s inception in 2021, the Quality of Place: Pathways to Progress Grants Program has awarded funding to organizations in Jeffersonville, New Albany, and Charlestown.