A lot is going on in the Manhattan Park District, and all signs are pointing to a renaissance of sorts — with plentiful event programming, recreational sports offerings, a successful camp program, and long-awaited renovations on the horizon for the historic Round Barn Farm.
Events and programming participation has increased across the board, signaling a positive change from past years when poor participation led to regular program cancellations. Now, there are waitlists for popular programming, like the camp programs.
The Round Barn Farm, which visibly appeared to be in disrepair though structurally sound,l soon will be completely repaired and renovated thanks to the board’s approval of a $2,250,000 general obligation bond, which will fund the barn’s complete restoration.
During its March meeting, the Manhattan Parks Board heard comprehensive presentations from staff on the progress of park offerings, including rentals, event programming, athletics, and before-and-after-school camp programs.
Lacinda Shawver reported the district saw 145 rentals totaling more than $30,000 in revenue in 2024, signifying steady growth during the last few years. The district offers rental spaces at the Hanson Community Center and Central Park, along with six pavilions – three at Round Barn Farm and three at Central Park.
In 2024, rental satisfaction survey results indicated people had a positive overall experience.
Executive Parks Director Jay Kelly commended Shawver on her performance, stating her commitment to customer service resulted in positive reviews.
Evan Vogt offered an overview of the district’s events, from egg hunts to summer concerts and movies in the park, dance programs, and the Trick-or-Treat Trail.
Vogt noted 2024 was the first year the Round Barn Farm Heritage Fest did not cost the district, coming in just above breaking even with $398.90 in revenue.
“Bringing in an event that operates in the black community was a super big accomplishment — that’s not something our events are designed to do; they’re designed to be for the community and not necessarily revenue-generating programs,” Vogt said.
Board member Ed Ludwig called attention to the 2,000-person attendance at the Trick-or-Treat Trail and complimented the event’s success, stating, “That’s pretty amazing,” with President Bridget Hope adding, “And everyone was happy that day!”
Jake Kaplan reviewed athletics, reporting soccer and basketball have been successful.
T-ball is going well, but the district saw a slight participation dip from 2023. He noted the lower numbers are in kid-pitch leagues, indicating travel baseball may be the cause of lower participation. Surveys have come back with positive feedback.
Kelly noted the challenge is dealing with the ultra-competitive nature of some of the sports, because that is not the park district’s mission.
“Our mission is to provide recreational opportunities to introduce sports to these kids and provide those experiences,” Kelly said.
Kaplan will evaluate and adjust athletic programming, as trends dictate.
Adult softball will return, with two teams having signed up for 2025 thus far. Fitness offerings, like yoga and HIIT, have a small but loyal following.
Senia Chavez reviewed the district’s camp programs, which are incredibly successful and popular. She highlighted the staff retention, emphatically praising their excellent work for the programs’ success.
“It’s awesome your numbers are doubling. This is something that leads to community-building. These kids all are coming to these camps together,” Hope said.
“It comes down to hiring the right people and training them to what you want to achieve. She’s done an exceptional job at that,” Kelly said, again complimenting his staff.
Outside of that, the board briefly discussed the disc golf course, which, unfortunately, will not return in the same format due to impacts on Oak Grove and events at the park. At some point, the goal would be to bring it back on a smaller scale.
Additionally, the board heard from independent municipal advisor Aaron Gold of Speer Financial. Gold provided a clear-cut explanation of how the bond worked, how it would be funded, and the repayment terms.
Gold reported the district’s “current AA- stable bond rating, and they cited the district’s strong reserve positions, moderate debt positions, and operational flexibility as credit strengths for the district, so you should be very proud of that credit rating.”
The Round Barn Farm Restoration is estimated to begin April 15.
Egg hunts will take place on April 5, with the Egg Hunt for Adults, and the one for the kids is on April 12.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.
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