The Bezos Earth Fund will invest $10 million to pay for big changes at a park on Indianapolis' west side. The improvements are coming to Reverend Mozel Sanders Park in the Haughville neighborhood.
The project will follow the Haughville Riverfront Vision Plan, a larger initiative drafted in 2024 after interviewing community members for input. The plan for Reverend Mozel Sanders Park adds 400 trees, two miles of new trails, a community farm, and recreation areas.
Local leaders are excited about what it could mean for the park and the neighborhood it serves.
"Reverend Mozel Sanders gave this city fifty years of service — investing in this park in his name, designed by his neighbors and powered by the work of Friends of Belmont Beach and so many local leaders, is the kind of legacy he earned and the community deserves," said Jenny Boyts, executive director of The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis.
Community leaders have had complaints about the park's management for years. Some say the park's nearly 25 acres are underutilized and undervalued by the city. Despite the park existing on the western bank of the White River, residents have not been able to interact with the river due to excessive pollution.
Historic problems with water pollution have been helped by the city's DigIndy project. The city says it's kept billions of gallons of sewer water from seeping into the White River every year.
The plan to reinvest in Reverend Mozel Sanders Park aims to preserve the White River's historic ecosystem by using part of the park to create a wetland. And the plan includes the reintroduction of native plants to the proposed wetland, and the mitigation of invasive species.
The Bezos Earth Fund selected eight cities across the country for similar investments, part of its Greening America's Cities initiative. Its $10 million investment for Indianapolis is accompanied by a $600,000 investment from Indy Parks.
Construction is set to begin in 2027, with completion predicted for 2029.
Contact WFYI Digital Producer and Reporter Jeremy Reuben at jreuben@wfyi.org
