Cicero, IN – The Town of Cicero held a dedication ceremony for the recently completed Pier at Red Bridge Park on Saturday, September 30th. The Town of Cicero was awarded a $50,000.00 Place Based Investment Fund (PBIF) grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) August 2016 for the project. PBIF is a partner program developed by OCRA and IOTD as a competitive matching grant program to support community and economic development projects across the state.
“The Town of Cicero believes that the Pier will generate new community and economic development opportunities for the community and provide a great investment into the future of Cicero and we are very proud of this investment and project,” stated Cicero Town Council President, Chad Amos.
The $125,000.00 total investment for the Pier was possible with the funding through PBIF and contributions by the Town of Cicero, the Cicero Parks Department, Cicero Friends of the Park, and Hamilton County Tourism. The pier will be utilized as a gathering space for educational programming, recreational opportunities and an entertainment venue. Additional partners for the project includes Our Town Cicero and Hamilton Heights High School.
“The planning for this project began nearly two years ago and it would not be possible without all of the partners and supporters who have been involved and who have committed either financially or through volunteer labor and services,” said Parks Superintendent Charlie Cambre. “We believe that the Pier will be a great addition to Red Bridge Park and for the entire Cicero community. ”
The dedication was followed by a free kids fishing event, lunch (provided by R.A.M., La Cascada, and Dave’s Famous Barbeque), and Music on the Pier with the Deep Soul Band.