66,000-square-foot playground for people with disabilities set to open in Lansing

LANSING — A $3.2 million, all-abilities playground at Louis F. Adado Riverfront Park is opening to the public in mid-September after nearly two years of construction.

"Whereas some parks would have an ADA-compliant, barrier-free piece of equipment on the side for children that have special needs, this playground has accessibility for all of the components no matter what your abilities are," Laurie Baumer, executive vice president of the Capital Region Community Foundation said in 2021. "It’s an integrated play model so you are right next to children with any number of abilities or disabilities."

The playground, called Play Michigan, was created through a partnership between the Capital Region Community Foundation, the city of Lansing and two disability nonprofits that came together to build a 66,000-square-foot accessible park and playground in downtown.

The project, the first of its kind in the tri-county area, is bringing a range of equipment to a quiet patch of land along the Grand River, including wheelchair-accessible merry-go-rounds and slides for people who use mobility devices.

Lansing Parks and Recreation Director Brett Kaschinske sees the playground becoming a destination for families.

"It's really designed for individuals with disabilities to be able to participate in the playground with able-bodied individuals as well," Kaschinske said.

The park, 300 N. Grand Ave., 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, officials said in a press release.

The foundation partnered with the Mid-Michigan Autism Association and Disability Network to survey 50 families on wants and needs for the playground before a location was finalized.

Jessica Donahue, director of communications and events for the community foundation, declined to comment.

Carol Barrett of Quality and Impact Data Solutions, who surveyed families ahead of the design phase, said most respondents "very much appreciated" the city's move to build an accessible playground.

When the playground was announced, families said the plans made them feel seen. The nearest all-accessible playgrounds are in Commerce Township, near Detroit, and Grand Rapids, which are both an hour away from Lansing.

"It’s incredible and amazing to feel seen, heard and understood," Julia Olivas said in 2021. "It’s such a joy and ... just a wonderful feeling to feel included and feel like someone cares about your kids like you do."

Kaschinske said the city only contributed to the parking lot for the playground.

"We also received a grant from the state of Michigan for that," he said. "So, there's a number of combined sources so it'll be the City of Lansing, the Community Foundation, which includes both individual sponsors and then also corporate sponsors as well."

The final location for the park raised concerns by some parents of disabled children about the site's proximity to Lansing Fire Station 1, as well the Grand River.

Ellie Surtman's child has autism. Loud noises, such as sirens, could cause her child and others with autism, who often experience sensory sensitivity, to run into traffic or the river, she said.

Olivas has had similar issues on outings with her children, who all have some form of autism, which can trigger sensory overload. On one outing years ago, she said, her eldest daughter, Charlotte, 9, fell and broke her leg. On another, her son, Gabe, 6, tried to run away from his mother. Her youngest, Violet, 2, has fallen from a rock climbing wall.

"They’re effectively blocking most of the population they are trying to serve," Surtman suggested.

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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at 517-267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: New playground for people with disabilities to open on Lansing's riverfront