Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore presented the annual State of the City address at a Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday at Bel Air Events.
Th event was sponsored by Indiana University Kokomo.
Area business professionals, city and Howard County officials, and others attended, numbering 216.
Moore went over the successes the city has enjoyed over the past year, and covered everything from the new convention center under construction downtown to housing options that are being built.
While new restaurants pop up all the time, Moore said he is most often asked, “When are we going to get a Chick-fil-a?”
He happily announced that the popular restaurant chain has already broken ground, after being announced in 2024. Moore also assured the crowd that there is no truth to the rumor that an ancient Indian burial ground was discovered at the building site.
“They did not discover a Native American burial ground under Chick-fil-a,” Moore laughing, adding, “We love our folks at the Kokomo Press.”
He joked that even his own mother had asked him about that one.
Moore was especially proud to announce, “Baseball is back, baby!”
He said the Prospect League is coming back to Kokomo and Bullpen Ventures is the owner of the new team.
The city is also asking the public for help in choosing a name for the new team. Starting with a list of about 20, Moore said they had narrowed it down to the top four. The City of Kokomo Facebook page has a link where people can vote for the name they like best. The options are The Tropics, Steel, Torque, and Creek Chubs. Voting runs through Oct. 9.
Another development Moore highlighted was the opening of the new Splash Pad at Jackson Morrow Park. He conceded that the project faced some delays, but the facility is now open to the public. The city Parks Department has also installed new playground equipment at Bon Air Park, as well as revamped pickleball courts. Eight new pickleball courts, four tennis courts and a miniature golf course are all being installed at Cutler Park.
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