New Five-Year Parks Plan Prioritizes Maintaining Existing Parks and Facilities

Bloomington Parks and Recreation has a new five-year roadmap for making decisions about the parks, facilities, trails, programs and services the community uses and values.

The Board of Park Commissioners adopted the Department's 2026–2030 Master Plan following more than a year of community engagement, research and analysis. The plan establishes a framework for deciding where Parks and Recreation should focus its staff, funding, and other resources to best serve Bloomington.

The Master Plan is organized around four overarching goals: Meaningful Community Impact; Invest in What We Have; Financial Sustainability; and a Strong, Connected Parks and Recreation Team.

Together, the goals address a central challenge for the next five years: caring for Bloomington's extensive system of parks, trails, natural areas and sports and recreation facilities while responding to changing community needs and making responsible choices about limited public resources.

Community input shaped the plan. The planning process included a community questionnaire, a statistically valid community survey, focus groups and stakeholder conversations, public engagement opportunities, and input from Parks and Recreation employees. Feedback identified what residents value about Bloomington's parks and recreation system, as well as needs and opportunities for improvement.

“Five-year master plans are the foundation for how we manage parks and programs for the future,” said Parks and Recreation Director Tim Street. “Through extensive community engagement, we learn what residents need and value most, and that helps guide where we focus our efforts and investments.”

The four identified master plan priorities are:

Meaningful Community Impact–Provide programs, services and spaces that respond to community needs and contribute to quality of life. Parks and Recreation will use data and public input to evaluate its services, reduce barriers to participation, and focus resources where they can provide the greatest community benefit.

Invest in What We Have –Recognize the long-term responsibility that comes with investments in parks, playgrounds, trails, swimming pools, sports facilities, natural areas and other public spaces. The Master Plan calls for understanding the condition and long-term needs of those assets, and prioritizing maintenance and reinvestment before adding new facilities.

Financial Sustainability –Focus on understanding what services cost, determining the community benefit they provide, and making informed decisions about how to support them. The goal is not simply to spend less or generate more revenue, but to direct public dollars where they provide meaningful value.

A Strong, Connected Parks and Recreation Team –Focus on the people responsible for carrying out the plan. It calls for strengthening communication and collaboration, improving organizational systems, and aligning staff resources with the Department's priorities.

The four goals work together. Quality programs and services should respond to community needs, existing public assets need to be maintained, financial decisions need to be sustainable, and employees need the resources and support to deliver those services effectively.

Find the 2026–2030 Bloomington Parks and Recreation Master Plan and its supporting supplements online (bloomington.in.gov/departments/parks). 

Send feedback to Parks and Recreation about the 2026-2030 Master Plan.

The newly adopted Master Plan will help guide the Department’s next steps, including decisions about how to address aging facilities and deferred maintenance. In September, the Department will release additional park and facility inventory information and a report outlining recommended facility investment priorities, including projects that could be funded through a potential 2027 general obligation bond. 
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The Board of Park Commissioners will discuss the recommendations at a special meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at the Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1601 S. Rogers St. Community members are invited to attend, learn more about the proposed investments, and provide feedback. An online opportunity to review the information and submit comments will also be available following the meeting.