Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation recently dedicated the central portion of a newly reimagined park to the late Jim Engledow.

On Aug. 14 CCPR celebrated upgrades to West Park, 2700 W. 116 St., with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The area now known as Jim Engledow Commons features a playground, a splash pad and picnic tables.

Engledow served as president of the parks board for eight years and was a member of the board for 20 years. He died at age 66 in Aug. 2022.

“We wanted to find a way to commemorate his incredible contributions to the park system and community,” CCPR Director Michael Klitzing said. “It was one of his favorite parks, and he would frequently bring his grandkids out here.”

During the ceremony, Engledow’s son, Eric, said his father’s work with CCPR is continuing to have an impact on the community. He compared it to a skipping rock – which can be seen frequently in Carmel parks.

“It skips on the water, and it gets bigger and bigger as it goes. When it finally does sink, it continues to influence the direction of the creek,” Eric Engledow said. “That’s my dad.”

The $30 million renovation to West Park has better connected the east and western portions of the park and includes enhanced trail networks. Further improvements to expand trails and add new picnic tables are set to be completed by the fall, according to Klitzing.