When it came to fundraising for the benefit of Bartholomew County’s children, organizers didn’t play around.
The city’s parks department and the Columbus Park Foundation recently surpassed a $400,000 goal for the James A. Henderson Playground Project inside The Commons.
Not only did the efforts meet goals, but the initiative surpassed expectations by $25,000.
The city is now in the process of drafting a request for proposals for updates that will be made to the indoor playground, which opened in 2011. Once the RFP is completed and considered by the Commons Board in July, companies will be able to give demonstrations of how they would approach the project.
Currently, the plan is to repair and replace the “pour and play surface,” replace the Luckey Climber cable coating, fix broken equipment on the toddler area and music wall, increase lighting to allow play for evenings, redesign the current lighting system to help with future maintenance, remove barrier walls so parents can watch their children more easily, and purchase new playground technologies that will make cleaning easier.
One of the most important facets of the project falls under the "new features" tab.
Some of the new features will offer sensory experiences, which will benefit children on the autism spectrum. The new experiences aim to help develop language skills, support motor skills, and problem solving skills all while having fun.
The changes will benefit many, as the playground is estimated to receive 100,000 visitors per year.
The project was originally planned to start this summer, but will be delayed due to COVID-19 limitations.
While most playgrounds have reopened, the Commons playground is still closed. It is set to reopen during Stage 5 of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Back on Track plan, which is slated for July 4.
Raising almost half a million dollars in a two-year span is an impressive feat, especially given the challenges that the pandemic has presented in recent months.
Thanks to the hard work of a few local agencies, and the generosity of donors, families will benefit for years to come.
