THIS PARK IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC YET. We will announce the opening date at a later time.
Articles by VIRGINIA GORDON, Communication Coordinator and MELISSA TURPENING, Bank Run Park Manager
BANK RUN — NOT YOUR USUAL KIND OF METRO PARK
VIRGINIA GORDON
Communication Coordinator
A stroke of a pen formally created Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks 80 years ago this August. And in this 80th year we are working hard to open a new park that will be a boon for corporate and large non-profit groups seeking high-capacity facilities for their organizational gatherings.
Bank Run Metro Park is in Lockbourne, Ohio. It’s founded on the former Hoover Y Park and an adjacent disused quarry site, stretching to a combined 166 acres. The vision for Bank Run moves beyond the typical Metro Park and places greater emphasis on this new park as an event and meeting space. In particular, large events that Metro Parks struggles to host at its existing parks will be welcome and easily accommodated at Bank Run, such as organized 5K runs, festivals and very large picnics. A 5-kilometer trail has been laid out that will wend its way through woodland and around a large quarry lake. Users of the facilities will have an option to have Metro Parks Outdoor Adventure staff provide kayaking or paddleboarding try-it sessions on the lake.
Building renovations are underway at Bank Run that will yield two beautiful lodges, each accommodating 99 people for sit-down functions, plus a newly-built 299-person outdoor shelter. All of these facilities will be available for renting separately or in combination. With lots of additional picnic tables and grills and plenty of green space, Metro Parks expects it can accommodate gatherings of up to 10,000 people and more, a far larger capacity than for any of the 20 current Metro Parks. The lodges will include warming kitchens, microwaves and industrial-sized refrigerators to make self-catering clean and easy. A large stage with electrical connections is being renovated at Bank Run and can be used on site for music performances or presentations.
There is still much work to be done to finalize parking lots and access roads and to restore utilities at the park, including city water service, and an opening date is dependent on these last pieces of the puzzle falling into place. But it should be soon.
The park is bordered on its northern-side by a beautiful stretch of Big Walnut Creek and trails will lead down to the river bank, where visitors can freely enjoy the scenic views. Acquiring the land that will become Bank Run Metro Park also allows Metro Parks to protect this section of the Big Walnut Creek watershed.
A fondly-remembered Granddaddy Slide was a feature at the old Hoover Y Park that Metro Parks intends to re-create, on an even bigger scale. The new slide will be 100-feet long and descend 25 feet for a one-in-four heart-pounder of a ride. Higher sides will lead to zero spills but no reduction in thrills.
The name of Bank Run derives from the rock once quarried on site. It’s a name given to a mix of gravel, sand, dirt and small rock fragments commonly found along riverbanks and gravel pits. Metro Parks looks forward to hosting many of our local residents, non-profit and corporate friends for events at Bank Run Metro Park over many years to come.
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EVERY DAY, BANK RUN METRO PARK GETS A LITTLE CLOSER TO BEING FINISHED
MELISSA TURPENING
Bank Run Park Manager
Updates in the current phase of construction include construction of an 80 ft x 80 ft shelter that will serve as a reservable facility holding up to 300 visitors. The structure has gone vertical and finishing touches to the metal roof are taking place. With no center posts and a vaulted ceiling, the shelter has a very cool feel to it!
Next to the shelter is the existing four season reservable facility, named The Ingram. Jeff Bosworth, Bank Run Metro Park’s maintenance supervisor, and Jack Omori, maintenance technician, have been busy transforming the inside installing trim, drywalling (lots of drywalling), overseeing countertop installations, painting, installing toilets, sinks, kitchen cabinets, and more.
The three season red barn, currently named Optimist Lodge, has a new restroom addition under construction, with a final punch list scheduled for mid-April. Design and remodel of the existing Optimus Lodge structure, inside and out, comes next.
In the coming six months, next steps include the less exciting but equally important utilities, including a new city water line and upgrades to the electrical transformers and secondary electrical connections. Construction of the slide, parking lot lighting, a wedding gazebo, multiuse trail connections, landscaping, tree plantings, stage remodel, development of the quarry, finding large quantities of clean fill for the quarry… OK, so there’s still a lot to be done, but every day is a little bit closer!
At the quarry, a mated pair of osprey have recently returned to their established nest, and it’s not uncommon to see mallards and mergansers there. A bald eagle perched in a tree overlooking Big Walnut Creek or mallards and mergansers in the quarry.
A big thank you to everyone who has offered and sent help our way on projects. We really appreciate it!
So if no events are scheduled, is the general public allowed to visit the park? Thanks.
Hi Laurel – the park isn’t open for visitors yet. Lots of construction and renovations still going on and will be for a while as we seek to make this a terrific park for visitors and event planners. Our aim is to open the park later this year, but we’ll have bulletins and updates as the year goes on.
Saw in a video that you guys plan years down to connect the park with the greenway trails is this still the case,and hope everything goes well in the parks making
We are always looking for ways to connect our parks to the larger trail system and nearby neighborhoods. If opportunities present themselves in the future to connect Bank Run to other trail systems, we will certainly examine them carefully.
AFTER THE PARK OPENS will the general public be allowed to visit the park even if there are no events scheduled?
Hi Bill, We are still finalizing the operational plan for this new endeavour. Our goal is to have some areas, like the lake, available to all visitors while others are utilized as an event space.