AUSTIN, Ind. —

After more than four years of planning and construction, the city of Austin officially reopened Austin Community Park on Thursday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

City officials say the improvements were long overdue. Parks Board Secretary Ishmael White noted that the old playground equipment was more than 50 years old, and the shelter house was deteriorating.

The renovated park now includes pickleball courts, a new playground with ADA-accessible swings, a skate park, and other amenities and infrastructural improvements.

The $900,000 project was funded in part by a $450,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, with matching contributions from the city of Austin, the Austin Redevelopment Commission, and Jennings Township.

Mayor Roger Hawkins sai

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