City of Abilene unveils completed ADA-accessible playground at Arthur Sears Park

A welcome spring refresh for Arthur Sears Park came Wednesday with the completion of the park’s new playground.

Children with Abilene’s Speedway Spring Break Camp raced to the play space after a countdown from city officials and the Parks and Recreation Department.

The completion of the playground signifies community rebuilding efforts after the structure was closed due to fire damage sustained in January 2023.

“I am very excited about the group of kids that are sitting down right here. I know you had a long summer last year without the playground, so we are very excited to have this for you,” Lesli Andrews, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said.

Throughout the process of rebuilding the playground, the Parks and Recreation Board worked to make the play space a more inclusive environment for all kids.

“Inclusion is something that’s so important to the city and important to Abilene as a whole," Parks and Recreation Board Chairman David Pittman said. "We wanted to make sure that as we had to rebuild this — from a sad way that it was taken down — that even more kids got to enjoy it."

The playground includes ADA-accessible ramps, swing sets and gliders, artificial turf and sensory play panels to allow more children to play, Abilene Mayor Weldon Hurt said.

According to the mayor, the cost for the project was $277,000 and some change.

“This is a great day for Abilene. It’s a great day for all of us,” Hurt said.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Spring refresh: city unveils new inclusive playground at Sears Park