Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation (CCPR) will host a ribbon cutting from 5 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 14 at West Park, 2700 W. 116th St., to celebrate reimagined West Park and dedicate “Jim Engledow Commons” in honor of the late Jim Engledow who served on the Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation.
The ceremony will include brief remarks from:
- Michael Klitzing, CCPR Director of Parks and Recreation
- Eric Engledow, on behalf of the Engledow family
- Rich Taylor, Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation President
- Matthew J. Snyder, Clay Township Board Member
- Jim Brainard, Carmel Mayor
- Miles Nelson, Carmel City Council Member
- Gregg Calpino, SmithGroup Principal Landscape Architect
West Park received a complete transformation as part of CCPR’s Reimagining Parks initiative featuring a new playground, splash pad with waterfalls, expanded parking lot, improved trail system, and a restored prairie maze, among other improvements. Funding from the Clay Township Impact Program contributed significantly to the park upgrades.
In honor and remembrance of Jim Engledow, the Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation unanimously passed a resolution in March 2023 to name the central portion of West Park after Engledow. Jim Engledow Commons will be comprised of the playground, splash pad, and picnic area. On many occasions, Engledow shared that West Park was his favorite to visit, especially with his grandchildren.
Engledow dedicated 20 years, eight as president, to the Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation and was devoted to the Carmel Clay community. Throughout his tenure, CCPR twice won the National Gold Medal for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, the highest honor for a municipal park and recreation agency.