Tom Hausfeld, 50, and his daughter Kacie, 21, were killed April 1, 2010, when the plane he was piloting crashed at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport just after takeoff.
The park, to be named Kacie Jane Park, is to include a splash pad, two playgrounds (one for younger children and one for older children), a bathhouse with restrooms and a picnic shelter, paved parking lot and a few other amenities, according to a city announcement.
Earlier this year, the city council approved transfer of $200,000 to pay for the acquisition of the 5.5-acre property valued at $76,270 by the county auditor’s office. It sits on the southwest corner of Lytle-Five Points and Crosley roads.
At the time, there was no mention of the memorial.
“While the city has over 400 acres of park land / public open space, most of it lies in the west and southwest parts of the city. There aren’t any public parks in the northeast area of the city, where most of the residential growth has been over the past 10-15 years,” City Manager Chris Pozzuto said in an email.
On Friday, the city announced it would be dedicated to honor the father and daughter killed in the crash.
“The park will be dedicated in memory of Kacie Jane Hausfeld and her father Tom Hausfeld, who passed away in a plane crash in 2010. The park was made possible through a donation from Lori Hausfeld, Kacie’s mother and Tom’s wife, and Brad and Chris Hausfeld, Kacie’s uncle and aunt. The Hausfelds wanted to create a park that celebrates Kacie and Tom’s life, and a place for families to enjoy for years to come,” according to the announcement.
Lori Hausfeld and Brad and Chris Hausfeld are each to donate $500,000 over five years, Pozzuto said in response to questions.
Efforts to reach the family and the Dayton Foundation, which manages charitable funds for the family, were unsuccessful.
It would be Springboro’s first splash park.
“We have heard from many in the community that Springboro needs a park with a splash pad, but we really never had a good location for one due to many factors, including availability of water and sewer lines in close proximity,” Pozzuto said in the statement. “With the land purchase at the corner of Lytle and Crosley and the Hausfelds’ generous donation, we now have the perfect location.”
Plans are to build the park in two phases, with the first phase of construction being the splash pad, bathhouse/picnic shelter and parking lot being ready (weather permitting) in early summer of 2019 and the remainder of the park being constructed in 2020. If all goes well, the splash pad will be ready for use by the community for the warmer weather next year, according to the announcement.
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