News release from the Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center:
Pocket Park in a pick up truck…and it’s made entirely of pallets!
(March 16, 2016) – In an effort to solicit feedback from community residents, a local nonprofit is teaming up with a student of Lawrence Tech University, to install a pocket park in the bed of a pick-up truck. The “Pick-Up Park”- which will be constructed from recycled shipping pallets- will make several stops in the Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood of Southeast Fort Wayne where community members will be asked to provide their feedback about how the neighborhood’s vacant lots can be repurposed and turned into community assets.
Last year, Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center – a faith based non-profit that aims to partner with community residents to revitalize the Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood- began an effort to collect input from Mount Vernon Park’s leaders and residents about the neighborhood’s strengths and weaknesses. The idea of repurposing the community’s vacant lots is a direct response to resident concerns of wanting more: beauty, as well as social and recreation space in the neighborhood.
BGCMC’s Community Development Coordinator, Réna Bradley is working alongside Nicholas Geers to engage the community and coordinate the project. Geers, an architecture major at Lawrence Tech University in Southfield Michigan, is the project’s designer. He initially conceived the idea to repurpose vacant lots (including parking lots) into park space during a design studio course and was approached by Bradley to run a “pilot” of the project in Fort Wayne.
The “Pick-Up Park” will make several stops on Thursday, March 17th beginning at 2:25 pm and ending around 6:00 pm. Stop locations are as follows:
- 2:45 pm – Corner of Fairfax and Gaywood
- 3:45 pm – Corner of Gaywood and Petit
- 4:45 pm – Driving throughout Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood.
While residents of the Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood are the primary target audience, all are welcome at attend. Engagement activities will be available for youth and adults. While supplies last ice-cream will be handed out as a “thank-you” to neighborhood residents who provide their feedback.
The first park installation is slated for this Spring.
Please contact Réna Bradley at 260-744-4446 or via e-mail at RBradley@BridgeofGraceCMC.org with any questions.