Franklin Park project step closer to reality

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Philanthropist Scott Niswonger’s dream to turn a former school site into a community park took another step toward reality this week.

During a visit to Van Wert on Thursday, Niswonger and his architect, John Fisher, met with Van Wert Mayor Don Farmer, Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming, Parks Director Sue Heppeard and Van Wert City Schools Superintendent Ken Amstutz, and City Council President Ken Mengerink to show them what is still a preliminary plan developed by Fisher and Greenville, Tenn., based landscape architect Jim Douglas, who has worked on a number of Niswonger projects in the past.

Mayor Farmer did not provide details of the plan, which he called a “daydream concept” of what could be accomplished in what is being called Franklin Park – the former site of Franklin Elementary School.

He did note the plan incorporated a number of components, some of which may be funded, while others may not be, depending on how much money can be raised for the project. Niswonger has pledged to pay half the cost of the project, up to a total of $500,000.

“We’re excited about this,” the mayor said. “How this is all going to come about we will know in the next few months.”

Mayor Farmer said Fleming and Heppeard would now “cost out” the various components of the project to get a better idea of how much money would need to be raised to fund either the entire project, or various portions of it.

The mayor said funding for the project would likely be a public-private venture involving donations from private individuals and groups and the business community, along with funding from government grants, and could also be a multi-phase project as other city parks have been.

“We have seen so many of our parks develop that way,” Mayor Farmer said, adding that Niswonger’s contribution is very important to the success of the venture.

One thing Mayor Farmer did say about the plan is that he feels community residents will like the result. “That area of the city of Van Wert will be pleased whenever it does ultimately come about,” he said. “We’re excited about it and we think the community will be excited about that park.”

The project came about during a visit Niswonger made to the city last August with Fisher and Douglas to inspect the school site and gather input from local officials and residents on what they’d like to see on the site.

In addition to the park project, Mayor Farmer said Friday that he received a letter from Time Warner Cable related to the ongoing talks related to a cable television merger between Time Warner and Comcast.

According to the letter the mayor received, if the merger is approved, local cable television operations would likely be sold to Charter Communications as part of a plan to sell off systems totaling 3.9 million customers in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin.