INDIANAPOLIS — Indy's far east side now has a relaxing community asset to call its own. The Grassy Creek Park addition on German Church Road is ready after two years of construction.

The new park blends a community center and play area with a vast area of natural beauty. Indy Parks bills it as an 'environmental community center,' one of just four in the city.

"It's Eagle Creek Park, Holliday Park, and Southeastway Park," said Alex Cortwright of Indy Parks. "It really provides multiple ways to play and learn. You may start coming here as a little kid and play on the playground to identify nature features, then you may come here for summer camp and identify the nature in real life."

Cortwright also said the new Grassy Creek playground is the largest in the parks system.
Neighbors around the Grassy Creek Park expansion are pleasantly surprised that Indy Parks decided to invest in their community.

"It's actually pretty good that they're actually making our community look better, more than it has before," said Albert Velez. "I can come down and look at birds and stuff like that."
"It's nice seeing them trying to do something nice around this side of town," added Keyshawn Williams.

Quincy Bright believes the new Grassy Creek Park can be the peaceful place children in his community need.
"I'm a home-based case management worker, so I work with a lot of kids in the community. I'll be definitely using this as one of my tools," Bright said. "It's kind of cool, it's actually better than I thought. To do something like this and see everyone from the community have something positive to come to, it's good to see."

Cortwright hopes everyone in Indianapolis checks out the new Grassy Creek Park at least once.
"It's such a quality of life boost," Cortwright said. "It's opportunities for engaging with nature and fun for kids on this playground and elsewhere."
-
Youth violence reduction initiative aims to steer Indy teens from gun violence
The Youth Violence Reduction Initiative launched in September with a $150,000 grant from the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform.New judge resentences man who killed IMPD officer on criminal confinement charge
The man convicted of killing IMPD Officer Breann Leath was re-sentenced Friday morning, receiving additional time for criminal confinement but no extra jail time due to concurrent sentencing.Johnson County coroner charged in teen alcohol case
Johnson County Coroner Mike Pruitt has been formally charged following allegations of inappropriate interactions with a 17-year-old girl.VP Vance visits Indiana for second time to discuss redistricting
As the White House continues to push for redistricting, Vice President JD Vance is expected to be in Indiana on Friday for the second time in recent months.