HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 VPA Annual Report _4y Filed in Clerk's Office
VPA 2018 Annual Report FES 0 1 2019
Updated 1.25.19
KgREBMHh rOvJ "rl
CITY CLERK,SOUTH BELtND,IN
VPA Recognized:
• Venues Parks & Arts was re-accredited for five more years by Commission for
Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) - a status earned by
less than 1% of agencies nationwide.
• Morris Performing Arts Center ranked 88 on Pollstar 2018 Year End
Worldwide Ticket Sales
• Morris Performing Arts Center ranked 69 on Pollstar U.S. Venues
• Denise Zigler received the Key to the City upon retirement from the Morris
Performing Arts Center after 22 years of service
• South Bend City Cemetery joins Morris Performing Arts Center on National
Register of Historic Places
• My South Bend Parks & Trails covered in national NRPA Magazine
• Jewel Davis & George Rogers were honored at the Black History Program for
their dedication to South Bend.
VPA Awarded:
• Graham Woodhouse Intergovernmental Award, Southwest Michigan Planning
Commission
• Indiana Park & Recreation Association:
o Creative Event Award: Best. Week. Ever.
o Inclusion Program of Excellence Award: My South Bend Parks & Trails
• South Bend Tribune Readers' Choice Awards:
o Best Local Live Performance Theatre: Morris Performing Arts Center (#1)
o Best Local Golf Course: Erskine Park (#2)
o Best Local Golf Shop: Erskine Park (#3)
o Best Local Wedding Reception Venue: Palais Royale (#3)
• South Bend was chosen as the location for the 2019 Midwest Regional NAI
Conference for the first time
o Garry Harrington, the Nature Center Director, and Hannah Teshka, the
Naturalist at Rum Village, are co-chairs of the NAI Committee for 2019
• WNBA made $10,000 donation to the South Bend Venues Parks & Arts
Foundation on behalf of Skylar Diggins-Smith
• Sky Digg Lady Soldiers Basketball Team: U.S. Midwest Regional Jr NBA qualifier
o Placed 5^ in the World Championship
• Cedrick Joseph-Pauline won the Red Ribbon Community Service Award
• Grants Awarded:
o GameTime - Playground Grant Funding Award - $250,000
o Indiana Department of Natural Resources - Land Water Conservation
Fund - $200,000 for Pinhook
o Community Foundation of St. Joseph County - Special Projects Challenge
- $100,000 for Howard Park Redevelopment
o Community Foundation of St. Joseph County - ArtsEverywhere - $5,000
for Fridays by the Fountain
o Community Foundation of St. Joseph County - ArtsEverywhere - $2,500
for Best. Week. Ever. Art Gallery
o Visit South Bend Mishawaka - Softball Grant - $85,000
• Volunteers of the Year: Lu Ella Webster and Beth Sanford
VPA Refreshed:
• Grand Openings:
o Charles Black Community Center
o Rum Village Dog Park
o Kelly Park
o Boland Trail
o Morris Exterior and Jon R. Hunt Plaza
3 Bendix Theater in Century Center
How we addressed our impact drivers in 2018
Social Equity - We strengthen the community through increased inclusion by
consciously serving all populations throughout our accessible venues, equitable parks
and free programming.
"Parks and recreation truly build communities—communities for all. They are the places
and spaces where people from all walks of life come together to learn, to experience, to
interact and to grow." -National Recreation & Parks Association, Park & Recreation
Inclusion Report
• The Charles Black Community Center was completely renovated effectively
doubling it in size
o 50% increase in visits
o 3-hour increase in average length of activity participation by visitors
• CLICK sites completed
o Allows free high-speed internet access to community members as well as
educational programming opportunities, bridging the digital divide
o In partnership with the Venues Parks and Arts, City Innovation and
Technology, and the St. Joseph County Library
• ADA-accessible projects:
o Kelly Park
o Charles Black Community Center
o Rum Village Dog Park
• $600,000 invested in mobile recreation
o Delivering accessible and exceptional experiences to all of our parks
throughout the City
• 500+ youth awarded scholarships
o For free or reduced-cost programming
o Director's Youth Scholarship Golf Outing raised $17,500
• 92,000+ served
o through free/low-cost programming
• 338 community meetings and planning sessions attended
o Engaged 8,019 people
• 28,800+ free, healthy meals served
o To seniors
• In partnership with REAL services
o To children
• In partnership with South Bend Community School Corporation via
Summer Lunch & Playground Program
• Nearly 15,000 fitness center visits from seniors
O 9,387 visits from 229 new seniors through Silver Sneaker program
O 4,978 seniors took advantage of the free 55+ class through St. Joseph
Regional Medical Center at Pinhook Park and O'Brien Fitness Center
• 14 free Fridays by the Fountain events outside of Morris Performing Arts Center
in Jon R. Hunt Plaza
• 9 students mentored through the VPA Mentored Mowing Program
o Partners local teens and community members to provide them with both
landscape and business experience, financial compensation, and positive
attitudes and work ethics. These teens maintained 112 of the City's
neighborhood properties for a total of 573 cuts
• Allocated funds and plans for updated Venues Parks & Arts website
allowing more accessible information to the public by making content easier to
find
• VPA partnered with U93 to host the first ever Summer Programs Expo at the
Century Center.
Neighborhood Impact: We empower residents and employees to contribute, take
pride, and feel safe in our city.
"Communities are safer as a result of a wholesome atmosphere created by well-
managed parks and recreation services in communities through healthy activities and
programming for all people." -National Recreation and Park Association, Social Equity
and Parks and Recreation
• 142 employees were certified in CPR/AED and first aid
• 41 lifeguards were certified in 2018, including 13 that went on to be trained in
river safety
• Over $10,000 spent in emergency response equipment upgrades for our parks
and facilities
• 94% reduction of identified hazards - compared to the same number of
inspections completed in 2017
• Daily Tous Les Jours, a company that specialized in interaction design with a
focus on participation and engagement, hosted a series of workshops with
residents to gather information about their interactions and perceptions of the St.
Joe Riverfront. Daily Tous Les Jours is using this input to help put
together recommendations for experiential art features along the riverfront that
will complement the Riverlights.
• The new Spark Mascot made her official debut to the public during Best Week
Ever. Spark has been extremely well received from the community and has
continued to make appearances at many public events.
• Created and funded plan to improve 44 neighborhood park amenities
• Community partners in beautification efforts:
o Kelly Park was officially finished, celebrating two new half sized basketball
courts, new pavilion, new playground equipment, and other site amenities
• The Kelly Park project was led and organized by students from the
University of Notre Dame Robinson Community Learning Center as
well as Northeast Neighborhood Council members, Lu Ella Webster
and Beth Sanford
o 7,904 properties mowed through our Central Mowing program
• Partnered with the Department of Code Enforcement and
Department of Community Investment
o Annual Back the Bend included Leeper Park, Ravina Park, and Kelly Park
• Partnered with Notre Dame, St. Mary's and Holy Cross students
o Public clean up along river from Howard Park to Veterans Memorial Park
• Partnered with Lowe's Home Improvement employees, Boy Scouts,
and volunteers
o Display Case outside of the Nature Center
• Partnered with Eagle Scout Project in Rum Village
o Prepped the land and fence for Rum Village Dog Park build
• Partnered with The Crossing students
o Prepped and spread pea gravel for Kids Kingdom
• Partnered with Central District Youth Conference (CDYC) and the
Summer of Service (SOS)
o Installed the Bike Shop cabinets and equipment at Charles Black
Community Center with the supplies donated by Lowe's Home
Improvement
• Partnered with Teachers Credit Union for TCU Day of Giving
o Painted the deck at Studebaker Golf Course
• Partnered with Teachers Credit Union for TCU Day of Giving
o Removed invasive species and trash from around Bowman Creek
• Partnered with Emnet, part of Xylem Corporation
Economic Impact -We cultivate innovative experiences to connect people more
deeply to the fabric of the community and use our resources wisely to generate
economic impact.
"The 'Soul of the Community' survey showed that social offerings, in the form of
entertainment venues or fun places to gather, how welcoming the place was to different
people and its physical beauty along with availability of parks, playgrounds and green
spaces determined their attachment to the community." -Social Life, The Importance of
Social Offerings, Openness and Beauty
• Commenced 7 construction projects
o Projected economic impact over life of projects
• Entered the second of three years with service delivery partners, SMG and
Navarre Hospitality
• $274,929.14 invested values through volunteer and intern hours
• 102 events (most ever) at Morris Performing Arts Center
o More than 101,200 guests attending those shows
o Hosted one of the largest touring acts in the world, Phantom of the Opera.
• 932 events at Century Center
o More than 185,000 guests attending those events and results in more than
an $11M economic impact in 2018.
• 14,000 rooms nights to the local hotel market contributed by Century Center
o Increased more than 120% over five years
• $1M in economic impact contributed by the Palais Royale
o Along with the Morris' more than $2M impact, the venues are contributing
to the vitality of South Bend
• Estimated 50% of participants that use the East Race are out of the county
• $26,000 saved by consolidating the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing service
contracts for all VPA facilities.
• Two national softball tournaments at Byers Softball Complex
o Bringing in 1,300 players & 9,000 spectators
Ecology - We hold ourselves accountable for ecological progress by implementing
sustainable business practices, engaging in public ecological education, and protecting
our environment.
"Parks play a critical role in ensuring that our communities successfully adapt and thrive
in light of a rapidly changing planet." -National Recreation and Park Association, Park
and Recreation Sustainability Practices
• $472,000+ in energy savings at Century Center
through roof, lighting, HVAC and solar solutions
• E-tickets system at Morris Performing Arts Center, encouraging patrons to go
paperless
• 3,899.75 volunteer hours on gardening, beautification, tree planting, and other
ecological projects
• 26% of tree canopy coverage
O 210 new trees planted throughout the City
O 2,596 trees received preventive maintenance and healthcare practices
O 12 trees transplanted and relocated from Howard Park during its
construction
o Named Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for 21st consecutive
year
o *First time ever in the history of our department that we planted more trees
than we had to remove
• New no-mow zones
• Ecological advocacy stuff
• Planted white pines along the St. Joseph River and removed invasive species in
Veteran's Memorial Park
o Partnered with IU South Bend Sustainability and Honors Clubs
• Planted arborvitae and boxwood in Kelly Park as well as ten trees along the St.
Joseph River near Keller Park
o Partnered Lippert Component Plant#58
• Mulched Rum Village playground and finished removal of leaves and weeds in
the future dog park site
o Partnered with Prairie Camp Teen Camp
• Planted and mulched in Leeper park around the historic Powell House Memorial
o Partnered with Press Ganey
• Painted benches along Riverside Drive
o Partnered with Girls Scout Troop #00392
• Mulched and beautified the IU Softball field and Veterans Memorial Park
o Partnered with local softball league
• Over 70% of the cleaning chemicals used in VPA parks and facilities have been
substituted by Green Seal Certified chemicals
o Over 75% of VPA cleaning and custodial maintenance supplies, including
Green Seal Certified chemicals are now provided by a locally
owned/operated business.
o The Green Clean implementation, in its initial phase, is projected to save
over $5,000 on cleaning chemicals alone in the year 2019
Health and Wellness - We promote excellent health and wellness through increasing
physical activity opportunities and providing access to parks in our city.
"Across all age groups, greater access to parks is associated with lower body mass
index and reduced risk of obesity." -The Trust for Public Land, ParkServe 2018
• Launched Trails 365 initiative,
o Ensures safe, reliable access through all seasons
• First year of In the River East Race Challenge
• 284,000+ participated in recreational activities
o Gym visits
o Fitness center classes
O Basketball clinics and tournaments
o Youth recreation classes
o Youth camps
o Youth sports leagues
o Swim classes
o Tennis lessons and tournaments
o Nature programs
o Climbing wall
o East Race rafting
o Softball
o Skateboarding
• 43,000 rounds of golf
o Played at Erskine Golf Course, Studebaker Golf Course, and Elbel Golf
Course
• 13,324 visitors to Potawatomi Pool and Kennedy Water Playground
• First permanent, city-owned dog park features 1.8 acres of space in Rum Village
for dogs and their humans to socialize and play
o New ADA-accessible dog park features:
• Fenced one-acre large dog area
• Fenced half-acre small dog area
• Fenced quarter-acre community socialization area
• Boland Trail completed, creating a new recreational trail in Northwest South
Bend
• Added Pickleball
• 36 new pieces of cardio equipment at O'Brien Fitness Center
o 13 of which have interactive screens and wi-fi connectivity for advanced
exercise tracking
Looking Forward
• MSBPT highlights
o Grand re-opening of Howard Park in time for the holidays, featuring
seasonal ice skating on an ice ribbon, water feature in warmer months,
restaurant, community building, playground and event lawns
• Riverwalk between Sample and Howard will be revamped and ready for
enjoyment by late summer
• Restored Studebaker fountain will be installed in Leeper Park
Leeper Park renovations complete by early fall
o Erskine Golf Course will unveil its clubhouse transformation in the spring,
featuring a restored event space
o Pulaski Park
o West Bank Trail
o Spring groundbreaking on amenity upgrades, bringing features like new
playground equipment, pavilions, and more to many neighborhood parks
o Spring groundbreaking on modernizing all operational park restrooms and
bringing them up to ADA compliance
• Studebaker Golf Course celebrates its centennial anniversary, marking 100
Years of Golf in South Bend
o Festivities will last all year long, culminating with a community party in July
• The Century Center will embark upon nearly $1.3M in renovations and
enhancements including landscaping, wayfinding, and parking lot improvements
• Morris Performing Arts Center will host more than 115 events
• Grand opening of new Granada VIP lounge at the Morris Performing Arts Center
• Budgeted to plant 400 trees throughout the system and the city
• VPA in Motion