PALMDALE – The city of Palmdale has completed a $231,000 all-inclusive improvement project to upgrade and replace the children’s playground and adult fitness stations at Marie Kerr Park.
The Marie Kerr Park playground is the first all-inclusive playground in the Palmdale. The playground project included removing and replacing the existing 25-year-old equipment with all-inclusive pieces, which includes ramps for accessibility, and provides opportunities for children and adults of all abilities to interact together through play. Some of the playground amenities include shadow play, harnessed swings, swinging, climbing, and sliding activities, play structures to promote core strength, and other sensory rich features. The new fitness stations meet today’s accessibility standards and will entice park users of all ages to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“This project aims to improve the park’s inclusivity and make play possible for everyone in our community,” said Palmdale’s Director of Parks and Recreation Keri Smith. “This newly renovated playground will offer a fresh and welcoming outdoor environment where children and adults of all abilities can play, socialize, and dream together.”
The city applied for and was awarded grant funding from the California Park & Recreation Society’s 2019 Statewide Healthy Play Initiative to assist with financing the project with the goal of incorporating best practice designs for active behavior.
Each playground funded by the initiative will be designated as a National Demonstration Site by PlayCore. National Demonstration Sites are part of a nationwide research project to collect anonymous usage data about the park and its long-term impact in a local community. To learn more about PlayCore, visit www.playcore.com/cprs.
For more information, call 661-267-5611.
[Information via news release from the city of Palmdale.]
