Plainfield Re-Entry Educational Facility
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August 29, 2007
Ceremony starts sports project
Groundbreaking held for fields that will continue prison partnership
By Bruce C. Smith
bruce.smith@indystar.com
August 29, 2007
Members of Plainfield's 1969 youth soccer team huddled around their old photos, remembering the early years of organized sports outside the schools.
The late Joseph R. Root is credited with sparking the beginnings of youth soccer in the town in the early 1960s, and then he joined the Optimist Club to create Plainfield's largest community sports programs.
"We owe a lot to Mr. Root," said Tim Newlin, who now lives in Fort Wayne. "We wouldn't have known at the time, but he was a role model who influenced most of our lives."
A plaque on a rock to memorialize Root's contributions to the community will be placed in the new Plainfield Youth Athletic Complex to be under construction soon.
Monday, state and local dignitaries turned ceremonial shovels of dirt to start work on a long-awaited facility for soccer, football, baseball and other youth sports.
The ceremony took place within sight of prison wire because the 58-acre sports complex is Indiana Department of Correction land next to the Plainfield Re-Entry Educational Facility.
"This is a good partnership between the state and the community," said DOC Commissioner J. David Donahue. "This land is more valuable to the community than to the Department of Correction."
In the deal, Plainfield leases the sports complex site without cost for 30 years plus a 30-year renewal.
Costs of the new development, to be split by the town and Optimists, isn't determined yet, but it could run in the millions of dollars.
Work should begin soon so the Optimist Club can move its youth sports programs from Lovell Field at Main Street and Dan Jones Road in Plainfield.
For at least 35 years, Optimist sports have been on that 37-acre site donated by PSI Energy. Meijer has bought the site from Duke Energy and plans to open a department store in 2009.
The entire new park won't be built at once.
The opening date isn't firm, but probably will be in spring 2009 for at least limited play on a few fields.
"This will be a work in progress for a while," said Town Council President Robin Brandgard.
Rich Philip, president of the Plainfield Optimist Club, acknowledged that in some communities, the idea of building a youth sports complex next door to a prison facility might seem unusual.
"But that's not the situation in Plainfield. The DOC has been a major presence in our community for many generations and its been a major employer for many years. There is understanding in the community about the safety, and the level of trust has deepened over time," he said.
Some residents of the re-entry facility will help maintain and build the park. They already help with public works projects in town.
More than 1,000 youngsters play annually in Plainfield Optimist's soccer, football and baseball sports plus cheerleading.
Plainfield Parks Director Clay Chafin said the initial plan shows two football fields and 12 soccer fields, including eight that can be divided in half for younger players. There are to be five baseball fields, including one for physically challenged youth.
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