Iron Horse Park & The Depot

The City of Logansport created a vision plan for parcels near The Depot at 4th and Market in downtown Logansport and preliminary concept drawings were presented at the January 20, 2021 meeting of the Logansport Parks and Recreation Board.

Funding for the Urban Park project was awarded through the READI program.

A revised plan for Phase 1 development is outlined in an application to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) for a certificate of appropriateness that can be viewed here and was unanimously approved by the HPC at their October 12, 2023 meeting.

The proposal calls for renovating The Depot to include public restrooms, with the ticket booth and some open space remaining for a welcome area, and improving the landscaping around The Depot and the access ramp on the south side of the building.

At their meeting on Sept. 27, 2023, the Board of Works approved a contract with an architectural and engineering firm to create construction documents suitable for construction estimates for the Little Turtle Waterway Trail Depot Restrooms. The packet for the Sept. 27, 2023 Board of Works meeting can be found here and the minutes of the Sept. 27, 2023 Board of Works meeting can be found here.

On October 23, 2023, the City of Logansport shared the following information about the restroom project:

The proposed preliminary site plan shows how the space in the Depot could be resdesigned to incorporate additional restroom facilities. This document is the first step in understanding the space.

There is one proposed restroom near the current ADA ramp on the south side of the building that could be available during normal park hours with a timed automatic locking mechanism. The current ramp would be widened as part of the project to meet ADA accessibility standards. The Historic Preservation Commission has approved the blacking out of windows on the wings of the building where necessary and the widening of the aforementioned ADA ramp.

The additional restrooms could be opened during community events and/or when the building is staffed. The site plan also includes approximately 562 square feet of open space that could accommodate up to 113 occupants, per fire code. This area would be available for curated historical exhibits and Welcome Center amenities. The building is currently leased by Logan’s Landing and subleased by the Cass County Arts Alliance. The need for public restrooms in the area has been discussed for many years and several solutions have been proposed and attempted.

Funding for the project was allocated from the North Central Indiana Region READI funds for Logansport’s Downtown Urban Park project (site plan included). Questions about the project can be directed to the Logansport Mayor’s Office.

On Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, 2023, the Pharos-Tribune published the City of Logansport’s advertisement for bids for the restrooms and façade work to the Depot at the Urban Park, with a deadline of 3:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, and bids to be opened Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. at the Board of Works Meeting in the City Council Chambers.

According to the minutes of the January 3, 2024 meeting of the Logansport Board of Public Works and Safety, bids for the Urban Park Depot Interior Restroom and Facade were opened and taken under advisement. The first was from Shepler Construction for $340,000 and the second was from Deichman Excavating, with an overall bid amount of $503,100.

The minutes for the January 10, 2024 meeting of the Logansport Board of Public Works and Safety indicate that bid awards were added to the agenda; the bid for sitework was awarded to Deichman Excavating and the bid for restoration and renovation of the Depot interior was awarded to Shepler Construction.

Site work creating parking, sidewalk and lawn areas south of the alley on Fourth St. began on February 20, 2024.

Exterior Depot renovation focused on the south and west sides of the building located at 4th and Melbourne. This work was approved by the Historic Preservation Commission and will meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties.

Interior renovation started in March, with the addition of an automatic locked family-style restroom that will be open to the public during park hours, and additional restroom stalls inside the Depot to be opened during events.

A ribbon cutting was held August 14, 2024.

The newly named “Iron Horse Park” will be added to the inventory of parks managed by the staff of the Logansport Parks Department. The following amenities are available for the community:

• Additional downtown parking, including ADA accessible parking
• ADA accessible walkways and drinking fountain;
• Game Court with cornhole, and soon to arrive, foosball table, & table tennis table;
• Green space with plenty of room for gatherings, and soon to be installed lighting & electricity for vendor booths and the Cass County Community Foundation Community Stage;

The Iron Horse Depot is now ADA accessible from the south entrance (along Melbourne Ave) leading to a family-style restroom, that will be open daily during regular park hours from 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. The Iron Horse Depot with historical displays and full-service restrooms will be open only during public events, such as the Farmer’s Market, and special events like Summer Sundown Music Series and other festivals.

POSTED FEB. 6, 2024: Regarding donations or loaned memorabilia to the Iron Horse Museum: The City of Logansport is preparing to transfer the Iron Horse Museum items to the Cass County Historical Society to renovate The Depot. Anyone that has loaned or donated railroad memorabilia that is currently housed in The Depot and would like to pick up their items is asked to contact Arin Shaver with the Logansport-Cass County Planning Department by emailing arin.shaver@co.cass.in.us to make arrangements. All items must be able to be identified. The Cass County Historical Society plans on displaying the artifacts at their museums. Anyone who is interested in having their items returned at this time is asked to contact Mrs. Shaver by March 1, 2024. After March 1, all items will become the property of the City of Logansport and will be transferred to the Cass County Historical Society appropriately.

In March 2021, the lots at 417 and 423 Fourth Street were gifted to the City of Logansport by the Salvation Army for park use.

Discussion about the use of the Farmer’s Market Lot at Fourth and Market continues.

The Logansport Farmer’s Market is interested in continuing to use the lot at the southeast corner of Fourth and Market (which was given to the City of Logansport by Salin Bank in 2011) as their permanent location. There have been three proposals from developers interested in building multi-unit housing on the lot since 2012.

The Cass County Community Foundation announced at the January 2024 meeting of the Logansport City Council that they have received a planning grant to investigate making a permanent facility at the Farmer’s Market lot, with the idea of creating an International Farmer’s Market. More information about that project can be found here