Just in time for the warm summer weather, the plaza on the north end of Buffalo Street is complete and a dedication ceremony for it was held Friday.
The Castaldi Fountain was turned on so water shot up several feet in the air, and the name of the sculpture by international artist Osman Akan was unveiled by the Warsaw Public Arts Commission (WPAC). The dedication began with a two-song performance by the Warsaw Community High School choir.
Suzie Light, WPAC, welcomed the guests, elected and city officials, State Rep. Craig Snow, members of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation Board of Directors, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and its board of directors, city of Warsaw Parks Board members and representatives of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
“We really appreciate you all being here today to celebrate this fantastic place in our community,” Light said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the fountain will be utilized by the city in many, many ways.
“Thank you for sharing a little time this afternoon to formally dedicate the North Buffalo Street Plaza. We’re here to thank the Castaldi family, represented by daughters Loretta (Castaldi), Diana (Scheeler) and Rebecca (Jones). I know they have other family members as well, from Chicago and Fort Wayne. They’ve come from Annapolis, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., so they’ve traveled quite a distance to come and help us ‘throw the switch,’” Thallemer said.
He said he was thankful for their generosity by donating the all-accessible interactive water feature in honoring their parents, long-time Warsaw residents Ruth and Lawrence Castaldi.
The Buffalo Street project was made possible by a $3.5 million Indiana Regional Cities grant, authorized by the Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority, Thallemer said. Snow is a member of the RDA, “whom we thank for awarding those project funds.” Thallemer also recognized David Bair, from the Indiana Economic Development, who was present and was a part of the Regional Cities process.
“The Buffalo Street Plaza is a part of a much larger revitalization and renewal of North Buffalo Street, which includes total reconstruction of North Buffalo Street and its connection to Indiana Street; the sanitary sewer lines and lift station, all funded with (Tax Increment Finance) revenue; and then privately developed urban residential housing construction and a new mixed-use apartment building to be … where the water works stands right now. Construction, of which, is scheduled to begin in late June or in July. So a collaborative leverage of city and private funds and state grant dollars is projected to yield almost $27 million of investment when the project is completed,” Thallemer said.
The purpose of the North Buffalo Street project is to enable downtown to have a true connection to the 120 acres of Center Lake, he said.
“So this Buffalo Street Plaza is intended to create a new venue for citizens of all ages to enjoy and access Center Lake. We’re certainly very happy this day has arrived,” Thallemer said.
He acknowledged the project partners, which include American Structurepointe, Selge Construction, the Castaldi family through the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Matthews LLC and the city of Warsaw utilities, city engineer, Department of Building & Plan and Department of Parks and Recreation and Parks Board; the Warsaw Common Council and Redevelopment Commission; the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority and Indiana Economic Development Corporation for their support; the WPAC and artist Osman Akan.
Snow, on behalf of the Northeast Indiana RDA, said it was an honor to be there and to see one of the projects that was nominated to come to fruition.
“When you can actually see it, it’s not on paper, it’s actually put together, it is really exciting to see,” he said before thanking former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence for putting the state grant program together.
Light said the Castaldi family was honoring their parents Lawrence and Ruth Castaldi, who came to Warsaw in 1954 with Midwest Springs.
“When I think of the words that embodied their lives, I think of faith, family and community. Those words are at the forefront. They were active members of Sacred Heart Church. They raised four children who continue to model the values taught by their parents,” Light said.
She said Lawrence was a civic leader and received the Chamber’s Man of the Year award in 1967. He was on the founding committee of Kosciusko Community Hospital and served on over 17 volunteer boards, including Cardinal Services, St. Francis College, Grace College, Indiana Mental Health Planning Commission, Bowen Center, Warsaw Kiwanis, Boy Scouts of America, Junior Achievement, United Way of Kosciusko and United Way of Indiana, to name a few.
United Way of Indiana named its highest award in honor of Lawrence Castaldi “to recognize the invaluable contribution that he made to United Way.”
Ruth also modeled a spirt of volunteerism, Light said. She served as a volunteer for KCH for over 30 years and was active in several clubs, a Bible study and the Kosciusko County Historical Society. As a volunteer for Kosciusko Senior Services, Ruth delivered mobile meals until she was 90 years old. “She was delivering mobile meals to people younger than her,” Light said.
Loretta Castaldi, speaking on behalf of the family, thanked everyone for coming. As the youngest of the sisters, she said her sisters told her she’d be giving the remarks. “They also told me that I was suppose to thank Mayor Thallemer for including us and incorporating us into his vision, this wonderful use of lakefront Center Lake. I was suppose to thank Suzie for coordinating us and keeping us informed and up to date on everything that was happening,” she said.
She also thanked the choir for their performance.
WPAC and the Castaldi family members then unveiled the name of the Akan sculpture as “Radiance,” followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
