The
Detroit Recreation Department and
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives will dedicate the newly renovated Weiss Playlot at Woodmere and Mandale in Southwest Detroit at 4 p.m., May 26. The project is designed to the specifications of the American with Disabilities Act -- and then goes a few steps further, says Dennis Nordmoe, the organization's executive director. "At this park, (handicapped children) can go down the slide -- it's not a long slide, but their wheelchair can be wheeled to the top of the slide." Additionally, there is a rock climbing wall that children in wheelchairs can boost themselves onto, and non-athletic activities like a drum circle and a tabletop playscape.
The playground is intended to appeal to children of all ability levels, with amenities like a walking path and a basketball area. "It's designed for families with children with disaibilties, but it is not obvious," says Nordmoe. "Other children will enjoy Weiss Playlot as well."
The renovations cost approximately $375,000 and was funded by the Kresge Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan's Access to Recreation Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the Skillman Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Contributions were also received from Comerica, Flagstar, and National City Banks, CVS/Caremark, the Detroit Salt Company, and Wright and Filippis, and substantial In-kind contributions from Edward C. Levy Company, the City of Detroit and Greening of Detroit completed the project's funding.
Read more about Urban Neighborhood Initiatives' commitment to neighborhood parks
here.
Source: Dennis Nordmoe, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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