New all-abilities park could be open by fall

ROCHESTER — Construction on a new universal play area in Rochester begins this month.

Over the next few weeks, crews will begin construction on the Memorial Grove All Abilities Park, adjacent to Halbach Field, off Woodward Avenue.

“We’re thinking in a couple of weeks we’re going to start breaking some ground and getting some work done on the park,” Rochester’s Deputy Finance Director and Deputy Treasurer Marcy Moriwaki said. “We already did the sidewalks on the north side to make them (Americans with Disabilities Act)-compliant, and we will finish up the second ones after all of the construction happens, because we don’t want to roll heavy equipment over brand-new sidewalks.”

City officials say the park will include new interactive play equipment around the existing walkways in Memorial Grove, south of Halbach Baseball Field, with a turf floor around the equipment.

“We definitely want to keep it quiet for the surrounding neighbors, because there’s a lot of residential properties that abut the park there. Our goal really was that it was a passive park, a quiet space for the enjoyment of everyone,” Moriwaki said.

The intent of the area, according to city officials, is to be a barrier-free passive area for children with sensory sensitivities or accessibility barriers, allowing them to enjoy the play equipment as families walk around the oval pathway.

“We believe this area will allow us to connect activities for park-goers, like the ball games and having all-access playscapes, ultimately making it a more grounded and recreational complex in that build.”

The Memorial Grove All Abilities Park  is slated to cost around $300,000 and will be paid for via a $225,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant, with a $75,000 city match for which Rochester is using a Community Development Block Grant.

The park, which city officials said should be open by early fall, was designed in a way to allow for more equipment, benches, trees and landscaping to be installed in the future.

“It’s set up in a way that if we want to add more units, either in the turf area or along the walkway on the grass as you walk around the oval path, there is that possibility,” Department of Public Works Director Alek Mizikar said.

Once the Memorial Grove All Abilities Park is up and running, the city plans to begin work on a second all-abilities park to remove the tot lot playground, near Ludlow Avenue in Rochester Municipal Park.

In 2018, city staff identified that the play sets for the tot lot by the Rochester Community House were deteriorating and were past the point of being able to get parts.

“That’s going to be a much bigger footprint than the existing footprint, with upgraded, all-abilities, barrier-free equipment,” Moriwaki said.

Construction, she added, will likely kick off in the spring of 2025.

The two new parks, Moriwaki noted, have been designed with input from local community organizations, including those that work with individuals with disabilities, to ensure that all members of the community had a voice in the design process.

“We’re committed to inclusivity and allowing everyone to enjoy the outdoors, regardless of age and ability,” she said.

For more information about the all-abilities parks or to donate, visit rochestermi.org or call (248) 733-3700.