Playoli playground project in Paoli gets big boost with $150,000 from Bloomington-based Regional Opportunities Initiative

PAOLI — The Playoli project to create a new playground at Paoli Community Park received a major hand up this fall thanks to a grant from the Bloomington-based Regional Opportunity Initiatives. The organization is contributing $150,000 for the construction of the playground plus pledging another $45,000 to fund half of the cost of installing a rubberized ground covering if local organizers can raise the other $45,000 required before the construction date.

The Oct. 26 announcement was welcome news for playground committee members who’ve been struggling to raise funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a steering committee, we are ecstatic!” said Billy Vincent of ElectriCom, the local firm that first got the ball rolling on the project. Vincent credits fundraising committee members Nicole Strange and Kate Jones with securing the grant.

The $150,000 puts the playground at its goal of approximately $267,000 for construction after a springtime push by local donors and the Town of Paoli raised $50,000 to secure a $50,000 CreatINg Places matching grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and Patronicity.

Now, committee members are working on securing the other $45,000 needed for the addition of the rubberized walking surface that will go around the equipment.

Strange noted contributions so far stand at $3,100.
The build is scheduled for June 2-6, and a grand opening is tentatively being planned for early July.

The Playoli design includes several local features inspired by the Orange County Courthouse, Paoli Peaks, Sol Strauss James M. Tucker Bridge, the Monon and Lost River. Ideas were generated by Paoli youngsters who took part in the playground’s design process earlier this year.

The local effort was one of six projects receiving ROI Ready Communities Implementation Grants totaling $1,069,400 for this third round of the program.

“We were inspired by the sheer number of applications and the innovative approaches communities were proposing for creating opportunity in the Uplands,” said ROI President and CEO Tina Peterson. “It is clear that communities across our region are determined to stay the course when it comes to advancing quality of place for those who currently call our region home and for those we intend to attract to the Uplands.”

To date, ROI has awarded $3 million in Ready Communities Implementation Grants to 17 projects in nine area counties.

The grant for the playground is being administered through the Orange County Community Foundation.