INDIANAPOLIS — Indy Parks has announced upcoming environmental remediation and park improvement plans for Lt. Jr. Grd Graham Edward Martin Park, which is located along Fall Creek between Indiana Avenue and W 16th Street.
Planned improvements at Lt. Graham Edward Martin Park are funded through the Lilly Endowment Grant and federal earmark funds. Those federal funds required environmental testing, which uncovered previously unknown contamination. Prior to being established as a city park in 1979, the site had a history of mining and was later filled in. The type of fill material used was typical in the 1970s but is now considered to be unacceptable.
In collaboration with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the city performed a series of environmental investigations and soil sampling. Results show that some areas have metals and some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) above the state regulatory limits for recreational sites. PAHs occur naturally in coal, crude oil, gas, and other products.
The site will be capped and have a new two-foot layer of clean tested soil added on top per IDEM policy. During this process, Graham Edward Martin Park will be closed to the public to ensure a safe work site.
After completion and additional testing, Indy Parks will begin work on a $2.8 million project upgrading the park. Mitigation funding for the site will come out of the Indy Parks Capital Budget. The project will include the construction of a new splash pad, playground, shelter, parking lot improvements, memorial plaza for Graham E. Martin, and a comfort station.