Indiana weather doesn’t always make it feasible for families to enjoy time at Carmel’s many playgrounds, so Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation officials want to create an indoor option at the Monon Community Center.
The play structure is planned in what is now known as the multipurpose room west, which formerly housed a cafe. It is next to the KidZone, the MCC’s on-site child-care service, which also is slated to receive upgrades. It would be open to MCC members and day-pass users.
CCPR had been developing plans for the indoor playground before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the sharp decrease in use of the MCC put the project on hold.
“As COVID came and disrupted everyone’s life, including our operations at the MCC, we mothballed (the idea), but we feel we’re in a position now where it makes sense to begin starting up those conversations again,” CCPR Director Michael Klitzing said.
CCPR is working with Williams Architects, which designed the MCC, to plan the indoor playground. The structure would likely be a best fit for children ages 2 to 9, Klitzing said, but it will be designed to allow older siblings to play, too.
Klitzing wants to have plans finalized for the project by the end of the year, with an opening date in 2022 or 2023 at the latest. He is working with the project team to develop an estimated cost.
