Worthington was founded in 1803 as one of Ohio’s first planned communities. The families who first called Worthington home determined the features and layout of the village based on their community values and the need to sustain the viability of their new village into the future. Still today you can see the results of their foresight with our central Village Green and central locations of our churches, schools and libraries. We have benefited a great deal from their planning and put these processes into practice today to assure our community is prepared to meet the needs of future generations. The results of one recent planning process will soon be visible in our parks, recreation facilities and green spaces.

Recently, the Worthington Parks and Recreation Commission, with the support of the Worthington Parks and Recreation Department, has completed a process of long range planning for our parks system. The long range planning process was thorough and involved significant public input as well as education and research. This effort resulted in a new Parks Master Plan, which endeavors to provide City Council and the residents of Worthington prioritized park improvements for the years to come in an organized and strategic planning document. You can view the document here on our website: http://www.worthington.org/252/Parks
McCord Park was identified as a priority in the recent Parks Master Plan. The 25-acre park that sits next to the Worthington Community Center was established in 1975. It is home to a variety of sports leagues and activities that have made it an important place for the Worthington community. With the new Master Plan, the Worthington Parks and Recreation Commission wants to make this park an even greater place for residents to spend their time and enjoy recreational activities. Master Plan recommendations include new restrooms, drainage improvements, new shade structures and picnic tables, and a circular walking path around the park with a connector to the Community Center.

We are asking the community to provide feedback into improvement concepts by attending the McCord Park Master Plan Open House, taking place at the Community Center, this Monday, September 11th from 5pm-7:30pm. Exhibits and concepts will be on display and our Parks Commission, staff and planning consultants will be on hand to collect feedback. If you can’t make it to the meeting, the concepts will be uploaded to the City’s website. We welcome you to get involved in helping shape the future of Worthington’s parks.