One of the city’s top destinations for young families is on the verge of getting better.
Ideas shared from surveys and public-input sessions are among changes being considered for the playground inside the The Commons at 300 Washington St.
One of the suggestions is more opportunities for kids to climb — as they already do on the 35-foot-tall Luckey Climber, a climbing area surrounded by mesh netting that is the playground’s signature attraction.
Not only do kids want to climb up, but they also want more chances to slide down — on new slides, according to feedback from the public, young and old.
A survey seeking public input drew nearly 900 responses. It asked individuals what challenges or concerns they see in the current playground, what play experiences would make it more successful and what other amenities outside the playground area would improve visitors’ experiences.
Additionally, two open houses were held in February, giving residents a chance to share their thoughts. Feedback from existing tenants within The Commons was also gathered, and ideas were solicited from a group of about 20 children, said Randy Royer, principal with Hitchcock Design Group, a Naperville, Illinois-based firm was hired by the city to develop a design study for the playground.
Royer and associate Camille Shoaf presented results of the public feedback Thursday to the Columbus Park Board and Commons Board at Columbus City Hall.
“It’s a place to play, and we want to maintain that,” Commons manager Shanda Sasse said.
But there are also things that need to be addressed, the manager said.
“We want to get what’s best for that area,” Sasse said.
Maintainability of equipment and cleanliness were two issues that came out of the new survey, Royer said.
The need for ongoing maintenance had come up previously. Some of the maintenance problems are the result of children playing on equipment intended for younger, smaller users.
The Luckey Climber, for example, was designed for children ages 5 to 12. Other areas of the playground are designed for toddlers ages 6 months to 2 years, and preschool children ages 2 to 5.
Age-appropriate attractions are not cordoned off, however.
“Everything is mashed together,” Royer said.
The playground does have areas that could be reconfigured, said Lloyd Brooks, a Commons board member and program chair of visual communications at Ivy Tech Community College.
“There’s a lot of open space that could be used to create the perception that not everything’s on the ground level,” Brooks said.
Feedback from parents indicated that having seating areas near the playground is important. And based on observations, it was clear that some parents have difficulty being able to see their children at play, Royer said.
The city has budgeted $300,000 for design updates to the playground. Hitchcock will present its design ideas to the public in the next month or so, Royer said.
Commons board member Kevina Schumaker said she looks forward to seeing Hitchcock’s ideas, in hopes that improvements ensure the playground’s longevity.
Schumaker also said she wants to see changes keep within the original architect’s plan.
Parks and Recreation Director Mark Jones said he would reach out to the original playground architect regarding potential changes. The Commons was designed by Koetter Kim & Associates of Boston, with CSO Architects of Indianapolis as associate architects.
Besides improving the experience for young users, playground changes would result in cost savings on maintenance, Jones said.
The playground was dedicated in April 2011 and is named after James Henderson, the former CEO of Cummins Inc., who helped raise money for the $18 million Commons building through a public/private partnership.
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Hitchcock Design Group, based in Naperville, Illinois, plans to hold a public meeting in the next month to show off different conceptual designs for the Commons playground. A time and date has not yet been determined.
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