A new addition to an eastside park will make it easier to play basketball in all types of weather.
Indy Parks and Recreation’s first covered basketball pavilion opened this week at Wes Montgomery Park, 3400 N. Hawthorne Lane.
The pavilion features two full-sized basketball courts, two half courts, bleachers and lighting. The pavilion will be open year round during regular park hours. Indy Parks said the lighting system will only be used for special events.
City-County Councilor Keith Graves, a Democrat who represents the area, grew up going to Wes Montgomery Park where he frequently played basketball with friends.
“The park wasn’t just where we played, it was where we grew up and learned life lessons,” Graves said at a ribbon cutting Nov. 19.
He hopes the pavilion will help today’s kids.
“This pavilion isn’t just a shelter,” Graves said. “It will be a daily stop for kids.”
Cecelia Dodson, president of the Audubon Gardens Neighborhood Association, has advocated for the area for years — including for more green spaces for children.
“This means a great deal to us,” Dodson said. “We need for our kids to be able to come out. We need them to have a good place to play.”
The pavilion will not be limited to pickup basketball games. Graves encourages community members and organizations to utilize the space for events and team-building activities.
The $2.7-million pavilion was funded through President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan and is part of more than $140 million being spent to upgrade Indianapolis parks.
That investment includes 14 projects focused on improving Indy Parks basketball courts. Several of those projects are on the east side, including new indoor courts at the Frederick Douglass Park Family Center and renovated outdoor courts at Frederick Douglass Park and Fall Creek & 30th Park.
Indy Parks Director Phyllis Boyd said more than 20,000 people have already played on those new courts. She said investing in amenities like the Wes Montgomery basketball pavilion is important.
“When our youth have opportunities to play in places like this, they see that we’re invested in not only their neighborhoods, but in them,” Boyd said. “And that is really the most important reason for the work that we do.”
Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian.
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