Vision:

The Outdoor Facilities Master Plan created a vision for the facilities based on guiding principles. This Plan was developed within the context of the 2018 Giant Leaps Campus Master Plan and the 2018 Student Life Steps to Leaps framework. A set of Guiding Principles were developed to support both the University’s and RecWell’s goals, help define overarching objectives and assist in future decision making.

1. Enhance student wellbeing and belonging through diverse outdoor recreation programs and facilities
2. Celebrate differences through diverse program offerings
3. Assure relevancy with the 2018 Giant Leaps Campus Master Plan
4. Support student success through Student Life Steps to Leaps pillars
5. Optimize resources while allowing for adaptability and flexibility.

The vision for Pickett Park is to consider an outdoor venue as a destination that provides a variety of outdoor spaces and activities to meet a diverse student population with a wide range of recreational needs. The proposed recreation facilities will operate more efficiently and utilize less space.

Improvements at Pickett Park will include a sculpture walk, a small amphitheater, an overlook, and reservable covered patios with tables and grills that offer alternative forms of recreation for groups to gather, socialize, and connect with nature. 

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PICKETT PARK

1. Parking Expansion
2. New Amphitheater
3. New Overlook Tower
4. New Art Walk
5. New Multi-Use Trail Loop
6. New Special Event Space
7. New Gathering Pods
8. Existing Horticulture Park Trails
9. New Shade Structure
10. New Social Space and Hammock Grove

Depiction of the long-term vision for Gold Fields and Pickett Park while accommodating future campus initiatives.

• Embrace Todd’s Creek and Enhance Wellbeing Space at Pickett Park
  • The Todd’s Creek restoration will improve drainage and water quality. With the addition of footbridges and overlooks, the creek will become a destination for connecting with nature and a tool to promote mental wellbeing.
• Integrate Pickett Park with Gold Fields
  • Students are interested in a variety of outdoor activities. Existing and proposed activities at Pickett Park are contemplative, nature-based, informal, and culturally focused, and complementary to those at Gold Fields.

Impact:

• Marketing

RecWell currently offers a wide variety of programs at both indoor and outdoor facilities. Additional programming is under consideration as funding becomes available for staffing and facilities. One of the comments heard repeatedly from students is their lack of awareness of all that RecWell has to offer. RecWell can increase participation by implementing a marketing program that makes students, faculty, and staff aware of the variety of programs and activities available, now and in the future. With the addition of new programs and facilities comes the opportunity to broadcast the news and create excitement amongst the student body.

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Priorities for Pickett Park:

• Integrate Pickett Park with Gold Fields
  • Students are interested in a variety of outdoor activities. Existing and proposed activities at Pickett Park are contemplative, nature-based, informal, and culturally focused, and complementary to those at Gold Fields
• Embrace Todd’s Creek and Enhance Wellbeing Space at Pickett Park
  • The Todd’s Creek restoration will improve drainage and water quality. With the addition of footbridges and overlooks, the creek will become a destination for connecting with nature and a tool to promote mental wellbeing.
• Enhance Pickett Park
  • Improvements at Pickett Park will include a sculpture walk, a small amphitheater, an overlook, and reservable covered patios with tables and grills that offer alternative forms of recreation for groups to gather, socialize, and connect with nature.
• Add multi-use walks and trail loops
  • Purdue students rate nature trails as their most preferred activity for recreation based upon results from the student engagement pop-up events held on campus. Gold Fields and Pickett Park will add miles of lighted walks and trails that will connect with other campus destinations such as CoRec, TREC, the Third Street Student Success Corridor, Horticulture Park, and nearby residence hall complexes.
• Add Parking
  • Although Gold Fields and Pickett Park are easily accessible via multi-use trails and transit, many students arrive by car. Adding convenient parking will encourage more use and participation in the activities being offered.