Friday, February 17, 2012

St. Joseph County Parks Partners with Notre Dame

St. Joseph County Parks Department and Lehman & Lehman worked together in updating their 2009-2013 Parks & Recreation Master Plan, in which it was recommended that the Park Department "expand partnerships with local Universities in research, collaborative programs, etc.".
We are pleased to see that, as recently announced, they are about to embark on Phase 1 of this process at St. Patrick's County Park. Congratulations!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Voorde Park

Voorde Park is a 12-acre public park located near the South Bend Regional Airport bound by Voorde Drive to the north and Keller Street to the south. This neighborhood park currently offers tennis courts, playground equipment, basketball courts, picnic tables, and restrooms and will soon be home to a local rugby organization. Revitalization of the park and development of new uses include new internal sidewalk/ADA connections, renovated basketball and tennis courts, replacement of individual play equipment with a new centralized playground, new rugby fields, a renovated restroom facility and expanded parking.


Lehman & Lehman was commissioned by the City of South Bend to prepare a master plan for the park. Upon completion of the design plans and a successful bidding process, LL Geans Construction Company of Mishawaka was selected to complete the transformation of the park while Hydroseed, Inc. was chosen to prepare the rugby fields. Completion is expected by the end of May 2012. Below is a photographic gallery of the construction process starting with the rugby field.

Site Plan

Park Renovations

6.11.12 Completed restroom renovation, accessible sidewalks and site furnishings
6.11.12 Completed playground
6.11.12 Completed shelter
6.11.12 Completed shelter
6.11.12 Completed parking lot
5.22.12 Installation of tongue and groove roof substrate
5.22.12 Construction of shelter frame
5.22.12 New swing set
5.22.12 New bench
5.10.12 New playground equipment and site furnishings

5.10.12 Renovated restroom
5.10.12 New Lunar Burst climbing structure
5.10.12 Renovated Tennis Courts
5.10.12 New Basketball Court on old Tennis Court
5.10.12 New concrete parking lot shortly after pouring

4.3.12 New restroom slab formed, ready for concrete
4.3.12 All pavement around restroom has been removed and is ready for new concrete
4.3.12 Shelter pad complete
4.3.12 Contractor continues to form new walks

3.22.12 General site work, excavation and base preparation
3.22.12 Basketball court demolition; new playground excavation


3.22.12 New shelter footings complete; forming of shelter pad
3.22.12 Excavation and base preparation for new sidewalk
3.19.12 Setting of forms for shelter footings
3.19.12 Excavation of new walkway
3.19.12 Excavation of new walkway connecting restroom and shelter

2.21.12 Voorde Park Shelter House established 1963
2.21.12 New fascia on existing restroom
 2.21.12 Plumbing repair and block patching in men's restroom
 2.21.12 Salvaging and re-use of existing glazed block
 2.21.12 Interior demolition of women's restroom
 3.30.11 Men's restroom interior before renovation
  3.30.11 Restroom interior before renovation
 3.30.11 Restroom interior before renovation
3.30.11 Restrooms before renovation
  3.30.11 Restrooms before renovation
 3.30.11 Restrooms before renovation
 3.24.11 Parking lot before renovation
 3.24.11 Parking lot before renovation
3.24.11 Basketball court before renovation
 3.24.11Tennis Courts before renovations
 3.24.11Tennis Courts before renovations
  8.16.11 Playground elements before renovations
 8.16.11 Playground elements before renovations
8.16.11 Playground elements before renovations

Rugby Field Renovation

4.3.12 New Rugby Field ready for 2012 Season
3.22.12 Setting of Rugby Goals on west Rugby Field
3.22.12 New Rugby Goals on the renovated east Rugby Field


9.23.11 One month grow-in
9.23.11 One month grow-in

8.23.11 Seeding and straw mulching
8.16.11 Final grading, seed-bed preparation
8.12.11 Rough grading
8.10.11 Stripping of existing turf
8.10.11 Stripping of existing turf
8.4.11 Existing field prior to Roundup treatment
8.4.11 Mowing and Roundup treatment