City hosts ceremonial groundbreaking for new NexusPark fieldhouse, with a new fieldhouse name

Mike Wolanin | The Republic Mark Levett, chair of the Columbus Parks and Rec board, announces the name of the fieldhouse and the name of the fields inside the fieldhouse during the NexusPark groundbreaking ceremony at NexusPark in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. The fieldhouse was named Circle K Fieldhouse and the fields were named John McCormick Fields.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — City officials announced a name for the new NexusPark fieldhouse during a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday.

The 150,000 square-foot fieldhouse will be known as the Circle K Fieldhouse, and the fields inside the space will be named for the late John McCormick, said Columbus Parks Board President Mark Levett.

The groundbreaking featured remarks from leaders involved with the project, a ceremonial wall demolition and work site tours.

NexusPark is a joint effort by the city of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health to redevelop the former FairOaks Mall into a health, wellness and recreation center. It is expected to include a fieldhouse, parks department spaces, restaurant and retail areas and CRH facilities. Outdoor community park and gathering spaces are planned, and Dunham’s is expected to remain on-site under its current lease.

“Our city’s legacy contains many public-private partnerships,” said Columbus Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon. “This is truly one on steroids.”

While contractors have already been at work on the site for about a year now, Ferdon said that organizers felt it was very important to “mark this moment in time in what is a once in a generation community investment.”

Jim Bickel, President and CEO of CRH, said that the project will “transform a languishing mall into a dynamic community asset.”

“Community partnerships and collaboration like this are historically how Columbus and Bartholomew County has accomplished legacy projects and initiatives that transform our community and keep it a thriving place to live, work, play and visit,” said Bickel.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.