Members of the public will get a chance to see a new design created for the playground at The Commons later this month during an open house.
Representatives from Hitchcock Design Group will unveil its redesign of the playground — anchored by the 35-feet-tall Luckey Climber mesh climbing activity — during the open house scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 29 in the lower level lobby of The Commons, 300 Washington St.
The city hired Hitchcock, which is based in Naperville, Illinois, but also has an office in Indianapolis, for $32,000 to develop a design study tied to the playground.
Commons Board members said last year the amount of use at the 5,000-square-foot playground had resulted in some equipment showing wear, requiring repairs or replacements to be made.
Hitchcock conducted a survey earlier this year and also met with The Commons staff and others to collect feedback about the playground, said Randy Royer, principal with the design firm.
The firm also reached out to the original designers to get a better understanding of the historic standpoint of the design, Royer said. The Commons was designed by Koetter Kim & Associates of Boston, with CSO Architects of Indianapolis as associate architects.
“We tried to cover as many people, including the public, that had an interest in the playground,” Royer said.
Royer said two formal presentations will be made during the open house, which will allow the public to see the concept that Hitchcock has created. Members of the public will have an opportunity to meet Hitchcock landscape architect Andy Howard, who created the concept, and his colleague, Camille Shoaf, to ask questions.
“It’s probably the most popular playground in our parks system,” Royer said. “It’s a well-used, well-loved public space.”
The Lucky Climber will remain and is included in the concept design that will be presented to the public, Royer said.
The new playground concept focuses on issues such as sight lines of children and areas to restrict them from wandering off, Royer said. In addition, it also addresses the overall maintainability and repair of the playground, he said.
“We’re trying to solve some functional problems and some new play opportunities,” Royer said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
What: Commons playground redesign open house
When: Noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 29
Where: The Commons, 300 Washington St., in the lower lobby
[sc:pullout-text-end]
