Work begins Monday to make Oak Ridge park inclusive for kids of all abilities

Donna Smith, The Oak Ridger

The playground at Highland View Park, located at 451 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge, is getting some upgrades beginning May 13 to turn it into a playground that will accomodate kids of all abilities, including those in wheelchairs.

The park will be closed during the renovations, according to a city news release. Work is scheduled to start on Monday, May 13, and is expected to continue into June. People are advised by the city to avoid the playground area during the renovations and be aware there will be construction equipment on the site.

This rendering of what the Highland View Park will look like once renovated was provided to the newspaper by the city of Oak Ridge government. In the foreground is the We-Go-Swing, which will allow kids of all abilities, including those in wheelchairs, to swing.
This rendering of what the Highland View Park will look like once renovated was provided to the newspaper by the city of Oak Ridge government. In the foreground is the We-Go-Swing, which will allow kids of all abilities, including those in wheelchairs, to swing.

The renovated park will feature a We-Go-Swing. The We-Go-Swing lets kids of all abilities play together and experience swinging. It’s designed so there’s no need to transfer to the swing and can be walked or driven (with wheelchair) right onto the swing, according to the release.

It will be one of the first installed in a public playground area in Tennessee, Seth Rodgers, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department's special projects coordinator, told The Oak Ridger last November via email.

“Currently, the only one in the state is at St. Jude’s (hospital) in Memphis so we’re looking forward to having one to use here in Oak Ridge,” Rodgers stated in the city news release.

The cost

The project is not expected to cost more than $380,000. Oak Ridge City Council previously approved a contract with Recreational Concepts LLC, of Cookeville, to design and construct the playground with $300,000 coming from Community Development Block Grant funds, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program aimed at serving low-to-moderate income people. Last November, city council amended the contract to add $80,000 in local money available through the city's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) - $60,000 from the funds set aside for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements to recreational facilities and $20,000 from undesignated CIP funds authorized by the city manager.

The additional $80,000 is for additional accessibility improvements such as improved surfacing materials, ramps and specialized play equipment.

People with any questions can call the Oak Ridge Civic Center front desk at (865) 425-3450, the release stated.

The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed. Correspondent Carolyn Krause contributed to this story.

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Another rendering of what the inclusive playground at Highland View Park in Oak Ridge will look like once completed. The $380,000 project is expected to start March 13 with most of the funds coming from Community Development Block Grant money.
Another rendering of what the inclusive playground at Highland View Park in Oak Ridge will look like once completed. The $380,000 project is expected to start March 13 with most of the funds coming from Community Development Block Grant money.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Work begins to make Oak Ridge park inclusive for kids of all abilities

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