EVANSVILLE — Wesselman Park’s new playground opened in late March and has been filled with families enjoying it every weekend since.
Construction on the playground began in January as part of the Wesselman Park Master Plan. The total cost of the project was approximately $1.3 million and was covered by funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Daniel Crooks, the new executive director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, announced to the Parks Commission on Wednesday that the city would hold an official ribbon cutting that afternoon.
“I’ve been waiting a while,” she said. “There is still work to be done on this project.”
The additions include:
Additional seating will be added under the fence awning Aiken Park’s Story Trail will be moved to the playground
“(The playground) is full every day,” Crooks said. “My kids are using it. I even took my kids out there.”
The playground includes swings, a climbing area, and a slide.
We also have plenty of play equipment that is barrier-free. The main playground is built to provide space for adult-sized wheelchair users, and also includes wheelchair-accessible swings and a merry-go-round.
Crooks said the benefit she personally saw from the new area was how the extra activity slowed traffic through.
“Cars are always coming and going,” she says. “This is her one of the unexpected benefits of the busyness of new amenities.”
