Miami County park to build new center
Building on historic farm property adds indoor program space.
The Miami County Park District hopes to complete planning this summer for another addition to its offerings, a $1 million community center at Lost Creek Reserve.
The center that will be located just west of the main parking lot at the reserve on the historic Knoop farm property will have a capacity of 100 to 125 people, said J. Scott Myers, park district executive director.
“This will provide the opportunity to have more events and program on the property yearround,” Myers said of the reserve that is located east of Troy along Ohio 41.
This building will be the district’s first indoor programming space capable of accommodating groups of more than 15 to 20 people. Plans for the space include year-round public programming, large staff trainings and rentable space for community use, Myers said.
The community center has been in discussion for several years. When the district last passed its operating levy in 2017, it looked to provide permanent restroom facility at Lost Creek Reserve, its largest property and site of a couple of large annual events.
“As we planned for that project and the cost associated with it, we decided to look at the feasibility of adding a community space to the restroom to allow us to get a little more bang for our buck,” Myers said. “As we went through a couple of budget cycles with this levy, we felt we would be able to add this amenity to our system.”
Candace Goodall of Troy is the project architect and lead on the design working with Choice One Engineering, Garmann-Miller and Shell & Meyer. Planning also includes the park board and staff members.
Money for the project will come from the district’s levy/ revenue funding.
Construction is expected to begin this fall with a 2021 completion date anticipated, Myers said.
The park district board approved several agreements on the project at its March meeting. The COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed the planning efforts to this point, Myers said.
“We are very excited to add an indoor space to our park system. Our goal is and always will be to get people outside and connect with nature, but to add something that will allow us to impact people in all weather is a great addition,” he said. “The Lost Creek Reserve is more unique than our other properties in that it has the space to allow for larger events ... and not impact the natural resources of the property.”
The Lost Creek property has hosted the district’s Fall Farm Fest for several years and last year the new Holiday Lights event.
The reserve is on the site of the Knoop Homestead which was home to five generations of Knoops over 200 years including the county’s earliest settlers. It includes a Victorian era farmhouse and historic barns. Mark D. and Dorothy Knoop in 1996 established a private trust to benefit he park district with 239 acres. The district purchased 173 contiguous acres.