The old playground equipment, which dated back to the late 1980s, has been replaced with new ADA, inclusive equipment. New features of the park include a play structure with swings and slides, climbing structures, balance equipment, a zip-line, and poured in place surfacing. Installation of the new equipment started earlier this fall. The park is scheduled to re-open to the public on Friday, December 1, 2017.
“We are very excited to unveil the new, inclusive playground equipment at City Park,” said Robbie Davis, Parks & Recreation Director. “With a convienent location near downtown Simpsonville and amenities, such as the dog park, fitness trail, and frisbee golf, City Park has always been a favorite, family-friendly destination in Simpsonville. It gives me great pride to provide the Simpsonville community with an area for children of all needs and abilities to play in an inclusive environment.”
The $192,000 project was made possible through the Greenville County Recreation Tax Fund. Funds provided through the Greenville County Recreation Tax Fund can only be used for recreation projects. “City Park was overdue for a makeover,” added Davis. “With these funds, we are able to fill a need for the community. This is the first fully inclusive park in our area.”
In addition to replacing existing equipment, City Park has a new section, the Simpsonville Sensory Playground, thanks to the Leadership Simpsonville Class of 2016. “Each Leadership Class is challenged with a class project that will have an impact on the Simpsonville community,” said Brittany Brockman, Chairman of the Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Leadership Simpsonville Class of 2016 participant. “As a group we identified the need for a play area dedicated to children with sensory disorders. The Simpsonville community was overwhelmingly supportive; through fundraisers, grants, and sponsors, Leadership Simpsonville raised $30,000 to create the Simsponville Sensory Playground,” continued Brockman.
City Council Ward 6 representative Sylvia Lockaby said she was proud to see the park renovated but very excited about the sensory portion of the playground. “I have been told that soon there will be an addition to the park in the form of a wheelchair accessible swing.”
A Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Friday, December 1, 2017 at Simpsonville City Park located at 100 Park Drive.
For more information, contact Tiffany Cherry, Community Relations Specialist at tcherry@simpsonville.com or 864.967.9526.♦
