Imagine roller slides, music and sensory features, and a tunnel for toddlers to complement the Luckey Climber. Playground designers already have.
These new components are part of a new design concept unveiled for the 5,000-square-foot playground at The Commons.
Hitchcock Design Group presented its vision for an upgraded and updated playground to nearly 20 people during a noon Monday presentation, one of two offered that day for the public.
The firm was hired by the city to develop a design for the playground, named for James A. Henderson, the retired Cummins Inc. chairman who led a $3 million campaign to rebuild The Commons.
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“There’s a lot of wear and tear due to the amount of use it’s getting,” said Randy Royer, principal with the Hitchcock firm.
Overall visitor attendance at the playground fluctuates throughout the year, Commons manager Shanda Sasse said.
A slow period may see about 1,000 playground visitors per week. And a busy one — such as spring, fall or winter school break periods — might see attendance of 2,000 per week, Sasse estimated.
Commons Board member Kevina Schumaker, who attended the open house, said city officials had not expected such levels of use when the playground opened in 2011.
When the new equipment is installed, it will be more durable and easier to maintain than what’s currently in place, city parks and recreation director Mark Jones said.
New features
Plans revealed this week were the result of public-input sessions and stakeholder meetings earlier this year to shape the overall design, Royer said.
“We really wanted to get as much input from the community as we could,” Royer said.
The 35-foot-tall netted Luckey Climber, the main feature of the playground, will remain unchanged.
But new design concepts include climbing, sliding, exploration and music/sensory play opportunities for children, said Andy Howard, design principal based in Hitchcock’s main office in Naperville, Illinois.
Another goal is to make the new playground is more accessible to individuals with disabilities and to ensure that all children have the opportunity to play together, Howard said. One such feature is a slide that allows three individuals to go down at one time, he said.
The redesign of the playground also includes elements such as sensory color panels and drums, seating inside the area and improved sight lines for families to more easily monitor their children, Howard said.
Adults who attended the Monday presentations learned that the improvements are not just kid-sized.
An embankment slide within the playground would also allow parents to ride with their children, Howard said.
“It’s such a popular destination for people who live here and people who come here,” Sasse said of the playground, which draws visitors on school field trips from across central Indiana, for example.
Columbus resident Judy Cecil, who attended the open house with her husband Steve, wanted to learn more about the project since they have three grandsons — ages 3, 6 and 8 — who spend time at the playground when they visit from Michigan.
“This is the first place they want to come,” said Cecil, who said she supports the improvements.
“It’s time for it be renewed,” Cecil added, however.
Rental space for gatherings in the rear of the playground area would also be available to the public through the revamped space. Currently, The Commons does not reserve tables or chairs for parties that are not a scheduled rental, according to the city’s website.
The overall cost of the upgraded playground has not yet been established, but Schumaker said she wants to ensure funding is in place before the project begins.
Financial backing would likely come through a public-private partnership, Jones said.
A next step for the city will be putting together a project budget and developing a plan for fundraising — with construction at least a year away, he said.
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The playground at The Commons, located at 300 Washington St. in the heart of downtown Columbus, was dedicated in April 2011.
The playground is overseen by the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, the only indoor playground in the city recreation system. The playground is free and open to the public during normal business hours.
- 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
It features age-specific areas: Toddlers (6 months to 2 years old); Preschool (ages 2 to 5) and School-Age (ages 5 to 12).
It is located inside the two-story Commons, a public space that takes up an entire city block and includes four restaurants.
The Commons itself is overseen by the Commons Board.
For information on The Commons, call 812-376-2681.
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