Ribbon Cutting Event to be Held at Richland Avenue Park New Toddler Playground 10/25 3:00pm

The City of Athens Arts, Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce the opening of a new accessible playground area at Richland Avenue Park. We will hold our Ribbon Cutting on Friday October 25, 2024 at 3:00 pm.

Dur to the aging and failing playground equipment as well as the inaccessibility of the 2-5-year-old play area at Richland Avenue Park, the Arts, Parks and Recreation Department decided it was time to renovate this area. During the summer of 2023, 500 community members participated in a survey so we could learn about what they would like to see in the new playground area. In conjunction with community feedback, we also worked with and received letters of support from the Recreation Advisory Board, the City's Commission on Disabilities, Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities, The Mayor's Office, and the Child Development Center. Funding for this playground was supported through the Recreation Levy Fund and the $20,000 inaugural Changing Lives grant from Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Foundation!

In the City's 2040 comprehensive plan, residents identified our parks as one of the top four destinations in need of better accessibility. Accessible recreation facilities also promote connectivity among diverse populations and enhance social, emotional, and physical well-being. We are excited to continue our work towards creating accessible spaces for our community. Andy Collins, the President of the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Foundation, shared "The OPRA Foundation is excited to be a part of this project, and we are looking forward to how it will change the lives of those in the Athens Community".

The playground includes turf surfacing, additional seating, an expanded dig area with the addition of an accessible digger, a dome that can be climbed on and used as a quiet space to reduce stimulation, an accessible see-saw with 4 seats to invite collaborative play, new swings including a toddler swing and a trunk supporting swing, a dinosaur climber and slide duo, music panels, a sign language panel, a communication board, and a rideable dinosaur on a pinch free spring.

While the 2-5-year-old play area at Richland Avenue Park is still under construction, we would like to invite our community to our Ribbon Cutting Event on Friday October 25, 2024 at 3:00 pm.