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Michigan Business Beat | Community Foundation Breaks Ground on Destination Playground

Michigan Business Network
October 13, 2021 6:00 PM

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Jeffrey Mosher speaks with Laurie Baumer, Executive Vice President, Capital Region Community Foundation, the group which broke ground on the first universally-accessible playground in the region, designed to promote inclusivity and the health and well-being of children of ALL abilities.

To hear Laurie and Jeffrey discuss the playground project click play on the podcast below.

In the interview conversation, Jeffrey covers the following points with Laurie.

  • because the playground will be fully accessible, parents and grandparents who have physical limitations will be able to enjoy playing with their children and grandchildren.

  • This extraordinary $1.8 million playground-park on the downtown Lansing riverfront will be a destination for families throughout our region and beyond.

  • The Community Foundation’s designers have far exceeded ADA requirements in order to create a completely barrier-free environment where all children and adults, regardless of ability, can play side-by-side throughout the entire park.

  • This project is important because families in our community who have children with special needs have to travel over an hour to find a universally-accessible playground, such as those in Grand Rapids and Commerce Township.

  • The project is led by the Community Foundation, in partnership with the City of Lansing.Major donors include AF Group, CASE Credit Union, Peckham, Sparrow Health System, Mary Free Bed, Michigan Medicine, Auto-Owners Insurance, and Coldwell Banker Hubble Realty.

  • The total raised to date is approximately $1.2 million toward the $1.8 million goal, including matching funds from the Community Foundation. The Community Foundation will match all private funds raised, dollar for dollar.

On September 24th the Community announced major donors and shared this release.

Lansing, MI – The Capital Region Community Foundation is breaking ground on the first universally-accessible playground in the region, designed to promote inclusivity and the health and well-being of children of ALL abilities. And because the playground will be fully accessible, parents and grandparents who have physical limitations will be able to enjoy playing with their children and grandchildren. This extraordinary $1.8 million playground-park on the downtown Lansing riverfront will be a destination for families throughout our region and beyond.

This project is important because families in our community who have children with special needs have to travel over an hour to find a universally-accessible playground, such as those in Grand Rapids and Commerce Township. The Community Foundation’s designers have far exceeded ADA requirements in order to create a completely barrier-free environment where all children and adults, regardless of ability, can play side-by-side throughout the entire park. Children with sensory disabilities (such as visual impairments) or developmental disabilities (such as autism or Down syndrome) will have lots to explore as well. The playground-park will maximize inclusivity and normalize differences while promoting the healthy development of all children for generations to come.

“While many playgrounds in our region include accessible equipment, this playground is different,” said Laurie Baumer, executive vice president of the Community Foundation. Universally-accessible means the entire playground is accessible to all. Even the riverbank features are accessible.”

Leadership and donors

The project is led by the Community Foundation, in partnership with the City of Lansing.

Major donors include AF Group, CASE Credit Union, Peckham, Sparrow Health System, Mary Free Bed, Michigan Medicine, Auto-Owners Insurance, and Coldwell Banker Hubble Realty.

“The brand-new universally-accessible playground at Adado Riverfront Park will be a fantastic addition to the City of Lansing’s Parks system. Lansing is a diverse and welcoming city and it’s

vital that we offer options for children of all abilities to enjoy. I appreciate the effort and support from the Community Foundation, who continues to help create vibrancy and move Lansing forward,” said Mayor Schor.

About the playground-park

This unique park will be located on the Grand River in downtown Lansing, highly visible near the southwest corner of Saginaw Street and Grand Avenue. The 66,000-square-foot park will include a custom, state-of-the-art, all-access playground that is 10,000 square feet. The playground was carefully designed in collaboration with Disability Network, along with feedback from approximately 50 families who have children with disabilities.

The park will also include a picnic deck, pavilion, dedicated barrier-free parking, and universal access to the river’s edge with a boardwalk and large platform designed for all children and adults to be up close to the river for viewing, picnicking, and fishing.

Wieland is the construction manager. Viridis is the park’s architect and Sinclair Recreation designed the playground portion of the park.

Timeline

Marking the Ground Breaking Ceremony;

As, Friday, September 24, 1:00 p.m.,  the Capital Region Community Foundation hosted groundbreaking with Mayor Andy Schor and major donors. 

Brief remarks by Laurie Baumer, Community Foundation Executive Vice President, and Mayor Schor were done from Site of playground: Adado Riverfront Park,

Westside of the riverat the corner of Grand Avenue and Saginaw Hwy.

Preliminary site plans and environmental studies have been completed. Site work is targeted this fall and winter, with construction to be completed in 2022.

Fundraising and sponsorships

The total raised to date is approximately $1.2 million toward the $1.8 million goal, including matching funds from the Community Foundation. The Community Foundation will match all private funds raised, dollar for dollar. Sponsorships are still available for playground equipment, the pavilion, riverside deck, and playground naming rights. Multi-year pledges are accepted. Sponsorships include permanent, artistic signage. The Foundation reserves the right to adjust sponsorships and costs as the project evolves.

For more information, contact Laurie Baumer, Executive Vice President of the Community Foundation, at (517) 281-9054 or LBaumer@ourcommunity.org.

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The Community Foundation is passionate about creating vibrant, thriving communities throughout Michigan’s capital region. The Foundation serves donors to meet their unique charitable goals, supports area nonprofits with grants and coaching, and leads innovative projects that drive community growth. The Community Foundation (also known as the Capital Region Community Foundation) is a tax-exempt public charity whose mission is to lead philanthropic solutions that build vibrant communities in Ingham, Clinton, and Eaton counties. 

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