Louisville City Wire

A new ADA accessible playground is now open in Old Louisville’s Central Park, making it a new destination for inclusive play! Olmsted Parks Conservancy raised $400,000 in private donations, which was matched with $400,000 from Louisville Metro for a total of $800,000 invested in the project. A spray pad was originally included in the plans, but because of inflation and supply chain issues, it was deferred to a later stage of the project.

Mayor Craig Greenberg has allocated an additional $500,000 in the 2023-24 Louisville Metro budget so that work can begin on the spray pad when the playground is complete. Mayor Greenberg has also included in the budget $200,000 for sidewalk improvements to make the entire park more accessible.

As advocates for Louisville’s Olmsted Park System, we focus on Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision of parks as equitable spaces,” says Layla George, Olmsted Parks Conservancy President and CEO. “An inclusive playground like the one in Central Park enables children of all abilities to play together while building community and friendships.”

Louisville Parks and Recreation previously had five ADA accessible playgrounds. Three of those playgrounds – Shawnee, Iroquois and Shelby Parks – are Olmsted Parks. The Central Park playground is the 4th ADA accessible playground in the Olmsted Park System and the 6th within Louisville Parks and Recreation.

Original source can be found here.