A spirit of celebration and reflection filled Crown Point’s Bulldog Park on Tuesday evening, as Mayor Pete Land delivered his inaugural State of the City Address. Land recapped the city’s growth in 2022, and revealed a pair of major announcements.
Land took office as Crown Point’s mayor just over a week short of a year ago after former Mayor David Uran stepped down to take a role with the South Shore CVA. Since he was sworn in, Land has continued to follow the philosophy and motto laid down by his predecessor “building a stronger community from within.” His two announcements both honored, and continued building on the foundation laid by Uran – the Sauerman Woods stormwater retention project is being enhanced by the $2.81 million grant by the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, and the Crown Point Sportsplex will be renamed in honor of the individual behind its’ inception.
“The Sportsplex is the gem of the city, built by a lot of talented people, but the leader behind it was Mayor Uran,” Land said. “He was passionate - he said ‘We're doing this, we’re going to get it done.’ It wouldn’t exist, to the extent that it’s been developed, without him. It’s my honor to announce that with Legacy Fields’ title remaining, it’ll be named the David Uran Sportsplex.”
The Sportsplex, which recently received a $1 million upgrade, sees tens-of-thousands of visitors annually, featuring a wide array of turf softball, baseball, football, and soccer fields. The city kept the announcement a tightly guarded secret, and it came as a surprise to Uran who was in attendance for the address.
“If I could, I would put the names of all my staff, the residents, and the business owners on the marquee with mine,” he said. “Thank you for trusting me with this. We had a dream, an idea - now look at Crown Point. With my current role at the CVA, we’re going to fill this Sportsplex every opportunity we can, every weekend we possibly can, to bring tourism dollars to this region and this city.”
As for the Sauerman Woods project, the city had spent the last year brainstorming a list of amenities that wanted to include in the accompanying park: an all-inclusive playground, six sand volleyball courts, six pickleball courts, two piers overlooking the lake, a large open-air covered pavilion, a lit walking path surrounding the lake, WWI and WWII monuments designed by veterans surrounding it, and more. The Dean & Barbara White Family Foundation’s grant will allow all of those amenities to be included – plus a new skatepark in the Sportsplex.
“Youth sports have always been so important, and it’s not just one sport over the other,” Land said. “We want to give the best we can possibly give.”
The city and mayor also distributed a handful of awards. Shirer Insurance Services LLC, Computer Solutions, Kwiatkowski Masonry, Crown Point Community Foundation, Candy Cove, and Mirar Development all received Business Longevity awards.
Samantha West and Ethan Flaherty, two Crown Point students, received the Youth Community Achievement award and an accompanying $500 grant to be used towards college in recognition for going well beyond the mandatory 40 volunteer hours for local students. West served 389 hours, with Flaherty serving 400.
Lastly, the city recognized the late Bruce White with the Excellence in Development Award, for the contributions the Dean & Barbara White Family Foundation has made to the city. The Sportsplex, Bulldog Park, Southlake YMCA, and much more was made possible with the foundation’s contributions. Dean & Barbara White Family Foundation Executive Director Bill Hanna accepted the award.
“We’re excited to let you know that we’re going to constantly be in partnership with Mayor Land,” Hanna said. “We’re looking forward to new and exciting things, and expansions at your favorite facilities here in Crown Point that keep us engaged with all of you. The future is very bright.”
The State of the City address also featured a number of highlights from 2022, such as 9.5 miles and $5.8 million of improved roads, seven new firefighters and paramedics, upcoming restaurants such as Texas Roadhouse, and more.
To keep up with the latest news and upcoming events in Crown Point, visit crownpoint.in.gov and its Facebook page.
