POD design was contracted by the City of Kettering to develop a master plan to create a new park on the former Defense Electronics Supply Center site. This process involved several meetings with city staff throughout the course of the project which led to the development of a thematic mission statement and goals for the project. POD also lead several public input sessions throughout the course of the design process to gather comments from the public and special interests groups regarding the design and development of the park master plan.

The resulting master plan was guided by the vision of creating an accessible park asset that becomes a destination for neighborhood activity and recreation, while recognizing the historical significance of the site. The design team incorporated several additional programmatic features into the design which were identified during the public engagement sessions including public art and education, environmental responsibility, and the integration of smart park technologies.

The resulting proposed plan for this new park includes walking paths appropriate for all ages, a shelter house, unprogrammed (free play) open space, and an accessible nature-based playground which integrates the historical context of the site into the play features. By evaluating and recommending the reuse of existing materials and site infrastructure, the design team was able to offer up cost saving design solutions to keep the project within budget. When completed, Gentile Park will provide a much-needed park space for this region of Kettering.