BROOKINGS — A plan to develop a new park in Brookings at the Fishback Soccer Complex received its formal unveiling at Tuesday night’s study session of the Brookings City Council.

The Brookings Inclusive Play Project is being designed as an inclusive playspace to meet the growing need for accessible playspaces in the city. The Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department has $900,000 budgeted and has applied for a $500,000 grant as well. The first phase is projected to cost between $1.7 million and $2 million, according to information from the city, so local fundraising will be necessary in order for the project to become reality.

“It’s really important for our community to provide inclusive play experiences,” Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Kristin Zimmerman said. “It really builds a sense of community, though. I’ve been in communities that have built playgrounds and playspaces like this, and it’s really a hallmark of what — it shows our community what we value.”

The city will work with Charlotte, North Carolina-based Cunningham Recreation and the company’s in-house Play 4 All division.

Company rep Terri Strong said Cunningham Recreation is a third-generation, family-owned company — she called it “one of the largest playground agencies” — whose footprint includes 17 states.

“We’ll see you through the start of this project and all the way to the end,” she promised. “We’ll be here for you. We’re going nowhere.”

The first phase in Brookings, when completed, is expected to have:

• A large destination playground.
• A splash pad.
• Restrooms designed for people of all abilities in mind.

“Playspaces, what do they do? We’re all familiar with them. We all have great fond memories of when we were children or when we bring our children or grandchildren to playgrounds,” Cunningham rep Victoria Schmitt Babb told councilors. “It is about improving equity. It is about improving health and wellness. There’s more and more research that connects the fact that children need to become more active.”

She continued, “In our society, that’s declining greatly. That the idea of play for children now is sitting and playing on phones and on tablets and on computers. So, really, the fact that we want to keep our kids active and develop those healthy habits, it all does start with a playground.”

Looking beyond the project’s first phase — and assuming a successful local support campaign — other future amenities would include, according to a city memo:

• Additional pavilions and shelters: These will serve as versatile gathering spaces for a range of activities and will provide shaded areas for relaxation, socialization and events.
• Walking track: This will weave through the grounds, offering an environment for people to engage in physical activity, unwind amidst nature and promote overall well-being.
• Mini pitch: This facility supporting the passion for sports and recreation. This versatile space will provide opportunities for friendly matches, training sessions and community tournaments.
• Outdoor fitness zones: These would be equipped with state-of-the-art exercise stations, and will offer a range of equipment designed to cater to various fitness levels and preferences, providing opportunities for strength training, cardio workouts, flexibility exercises and more.

With those inclusions, the overall project cost would increase to between $3.1 million and $3.2 million.

“Most often, you have a set budget, and you want to be good stewards of your tax dollars — but if you want to go big … then, really, there’s such a great opportunity to reach out for philanthropic dollars,” Babb noted. “People want to be engaged. They want to invest in something that’s going to make a difference in their community and to leave a legacy.”

City councilors had some questions following the presentation, including one from Bonny Specker about the potential for year-round use.

“If you have put a lot of effort and funds into building this, is it possible to design it in such way that, if in the future, they build domes that could enclose this for winter use?” she asked.

Zimmerman said the technology exists to do so, citing an example of domes being available to cover outdoor swimming pools that are tall enough to incorporate the pool’s diving boards.

“With the fundraising plan, I was wondering if that included just individual philanthropy or if it also includes grants and sponsorships?” Councilor Brianna Doran asked.

She was told that one of the best ways to help out is through a sponsorship program, where you’re asking people to be part of a club or to sponsor a component of the project. It was noted that companies, families and/or schools can also do a buy in and put their name on it, with all of the donors’ names being showcased on a sign off to the side of the playspace.

“Playgrounds are often the first society that a child experiences, and so it develops that conflict resolution, turn-taking — there’s so many life skills that happen on playspaces,” Babb concluded. “Finally, in an economic sense, it sparks growth and investment because people … are going to come from all over, they’re going to shop here, they’re going to lunch here, they’re going to have dinner here. And so it’s great for economic investment as well.”

— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.