The City of Mishawaka is closing a portion of Merrifield Park for construction and improvements.

Construction crews plan to move heavy equipment in and begin work on Monday, May 15.

This will essentially close the areas of Merrifield Park adjacent to the river including the Camp LaSalle Playground, the restroom building, and Castle Manor until December of 2017.

The project itself includes the relocation of the existing access drive, the construction of the Riverwalk, creation of a more formal boat launch, new parking, and a replacement restroom building.

Once completed, this section will extend the walk from the Merrifield/Crawford Park Connector under Mishawaka Avenue to the intersection of Prospect and Indiana Avenue.

During construction, Merrifield Pool is intended to remain open as long as the recent patching of vandalism holds.