By David Markham
An April 22 ribbon cutting has been set for the new inclusive playground and related Phase 2 developments in the northeast corner of Meadowbrook Park. A short ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and will feature public officials.
The Phase 2 developments have been open for public use since their “soft opening” in late December, and have already been popular with visitors. The centerpiece of this development is JCPRD’s third inclusive playground. Inclusive playgrounds are designed to enable people of all abilities to play together without barriers.
The project adds a third type of playground to Meadowbrook Park, which already had an adventure playground in the form of the Treeline Adventure Playground in the park’s northwest corner, and a sensory playground, in the form of The Grove Playground in the park’s north central area. Among the goals for the new development were to help distribute park users more evenly across the park and provide an additional use area for picnics, comfort station use, playground users, and parking.
JCPRD’s other two existing inclusive playgrounds opened in 2018 in Stilwell Community Park and in 2019 in Shawnee Mission Park.
In addition to the inclusive playground, Meadowbrook Park’s Phase 2 includes a picnic shelter, restroom, and off-street parking for 29 vehicles.
Work started in November 2021 on Meadowbrook Park’s Phase 2, which is concentrated near the park entrance at Roe Avenue and Meadowbrook Parkway.
While the new playground is approximately the same size as JCPRD’s other inclusive playgrounds, it features a unique swing for wheelchair users, and includes more built-in shade canopies than typical playgrounds. Seating within the playground space has also been provided so kids and parents who want to take a break or enjoy a snack have a comfortable place to do so and still be nearby.