Submitted by SSPR
A slide towers above the playground park at East Elementary. Photos courtesy of SSPR.
LITTLETON – This summer, a project, several years in the making, came to fruition through a multidisciplinary partnership and a group of multicultural volunteers.
The community in and around Littleton Public Schools’ East Elementary completed an extraordinary playground project with the commitment of several partners, including South Suburban Parks and Recreation, Arapahoe County Open Space, city of Littleton and Littleton Public Schools, and the sweat equity of nearly 40 volunteers.
The city of Littleton applied for and received an Arapahoe County Open Space Grant in the amount of $133,600 and also provided the required match of $33,400, which made this unique project possible.
Several pieces of East Elementary School play equipment were more than 50 years old and in desperate need of repair or removal. The equipment failed to provide enough recreation opportunities for East’s 320 students as it could only accommodate about 35 students at a time.
The old playground wasn’t handicap accessible and therefore could not meet the needs of those with disabilities attending the school or living in the adjacent neighborhood.
South Suburban planning professionals conducted an intense design period with East Elementary students. The students selected equipment including a super-tall slide structure and a dragon-shaped climber and South Suburban incorporated the equipment into the playground design.
Volunteers work together to install a slide on new playground equipment at East Elementary School.
On June 26, South Suburban construction specialists came together with dedicated community volunteers to install handicap accessible apparatus that now accommodates the various age levels of East Elementary’s enrollment with three new playgrounds including the highest slide in the South Suburban system.
Until the project, neighborhood residents had no place to come together and recreate. Now, this new neighborhood park serves at least 700 households.
The project partners have responded to citizen groups, individuals and businesses who have been working on this project for years. In particular, the East Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization and the East students themselves have been working for three years to raise funds.
They are thrilled to see this project accomplished before these students move on to middle school. Beyond that, the closure of two local elementary schools and the current economic climate, makes the timing right to improve community/school facilities when and where the opportunities present themselves.
“South Suburban has a long history of partnering with other community organizations to meet the needs of active, passive and family recreation. It is even more important today, in these tentative economic times, that we leverage the resources of many partners to leave a legacy for future generations,” said South Suburban Executive Director David Lorenz.
The new East Elementary School playground is safe, accessible and professionally designed. With South Suburban Parks and Recreation’s long term, high quality maintenance commitment it will continue to be enjoyed by many for a long time.
A formal dedication of the new facility will be scheduled when school is back in session.
To find a South Suburban playground in your neighborhood visit www.sspr.org.
