The City of Lima made a big step toward improving its playground equipment to help make sure every kid can have fun.
With a partnership with Lima Memorial Health System, the new and improved handicapped-accessible playground at Lincoln Park is the first all-inclusive playground in Lima. Some features of the newly renovated park include accessibility ramps, a soft artificial turf surface for greater safety, and musical and sensory enhanced equipment. This improvement comes as part of a one million dollar plan to renovate all 13 playgrounds that are located in the eight Lima parks.
"About five years ago, we started putting together a plan, looking at all of our playground facilities. Looked at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, some of the threats that we had in some of our parks, and we decided we're going to make a move," said Ric Stolly, director of parks, recreation, and forestry.
"We thought it was just an important part of what the community is about and it was a great opportunity for us to work with them, especially since we house the children development center. Kids during the summer and during the school year want a place to go," said Mike Swick, president and CEO of Lima Memorial Hospital.
Since 2017, the city has invested half a million dollars in improvements to Robb, Martin Luther King Jr., Faurot, and Lincoln parks.
