Construction has begun on an inclusive playground in Wauwatosa aimed at meeting the needs of people of all park goers, but especially those with mobility issues or other disabilities.
Dubbed Moss Universal Park, the $10 million project is being realized through a partnership with The Ability Center, Milwaukee County, Milwaukee County Parks, and design partners from Impact Parks.
The new park is being constructed on the site of Milwaukee County Park’s 18-acre Wisconsin Avenue Park, 103000 W. Wisconsin Ave., and will include a specialized playground area with fitness pockets, a family fitness area, a clubhouse with universally inclusive restrooms, sensory rooms, enhanced baseball fields, picnic areas, a half-mile of universally inclusive trails, a challenge course, and more.
Seasonal, adaptive equipment will also be available for free rental including bikes, trail chairs, and cross-country skis for inclusive enjoyment of the park year-round. Milwaukee-based Ability Center, a nonprofit aimed at creating more accessible recreation spaces in the region, partnered with the national experts at Tennessee-based IMPACT Parks to design the park.
“It is an absolute joy to be moving forward with the development of the United States’ first universal park where everybody will be able to play together,” said Damian Buchman, founder and CEO of The Ability Center at a recent groundbreaking ceremony for the project, marking the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The Ability Center has been proud to create many universally inclusive ‘firsts’ for our Milwaukee County community, creating opportunities for everybody to play together, regardless of ability. We have partnered with the county to increase accessibility at Bradford Beach, Veterans, and Red Arrow parks. Moss Universal Park will be an amplification of each of those efforts.”
Funding
In recognition of a transformative $2.5 million gift from the George F. Moss Foundation Trust, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted on June 22 to rename the park Moss Universal Park.
To date, more than $4.1 million has been committed to the project, including through a more than $1.1 million Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) grant and a $500,000 gift from the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee.
Timeline
Construction of the park will take place in two phases, according to a press release. Phase one will include the development of the park clubhouse, playground, baseball fields and parking lot and is expected to be completed by summer 2024. Phase two will improve the west side of the park by developing universally inclusive paths, fitness and play pockets and an inclusive challenge course. Partners anticipate the full redevelopment will be completed in summer 2025.
