A few dozen people showed up to the grand opening of the Vanderburgh County Bicentennial Park.
The new park is on the grounds of the Old Courthouse. It includes a pathway circling the building, along with seating areas and new landscaping.
County commissioner Ben Shoulders sees the park as a place for open-air events.
“We felt that that was one of the few things lacking in downtown was green space," he says. "I have three small children so we’re downtown a lot, but other than Mickey’s Kingdom, not many places to come."
The county broke out the Kennedy podium for ribbon cutting. The honor is reserved for special occasions. County officials, including commissioner Shoulders, gave remarks on the same spot JFK spoke when he visited Evansville in 1960
"It’s almost surreal to know that president Kennedy spoke from the exact podium," Shoulders says. "Pretty darn cool, pretty darn cool."
The total cost of the project was around $100,000. Shoulders says no taxpayer money was spent. The money came from the old Courthouse’s foundation's leftover funds and some private donations.
