ROCHESTER – Construction on a new universal playground in Rochester will begin this month.

In the next few weeks, construction will begin on Memorial Grove All Abilities Park next to Halbach Field on Woodward Avenue.

“We think we’ll break ground and start work on the park in a couple of weeks,” said Marcy Moriwaki, Rochester’s deputy finance director and assistant treasurer. “We’ve already completed the walkways on the north side to make them Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, and we’ll finish the second ones after all the construction is done because we don’t want to roll heavy equipment over brand new walkways.”

City officials say the park will include new interactive play equipment around the existing walkways in Memorial Grove south of Halbach Baseball Field, surrounded by a turf surface.

“We definitely want to keep it quiet for the neighbors because there are a lot of residential buildings that border the park. Our goal was really for it to be a passive park, a quiet place where everyone feels comfortable,” Moriwaki said.

According to city officials, the area will be a barrier-free passive space for children with sensory sensitivities or limited accessibility to use the play equipment while the family strolls the oval path.

“We believe this area will allow us to combine park visitor activities such as ball games and play areas accessible to all, ultimately making the complex more grounded and restorative.”

The Memorial Grove All Abilities Park is estimated to cost approximately $300,000, with funding coming from a $225,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund. The City of Rochester is contributing $75,000 using a Community Development Block Grant.

The park, which the city says is scheduled to open in early fall, has been designed to include more equipment, benches, trees and landscaping options in the future.

“It’s designed in such a way that we have the opportunity to add more units, either in the lawn area or along the walkway on the grass as you walk along the oval path,” said Alek Mizikar, director of the building department.

Once Memorial Grove All Abilities Park is completed and operational, the city plans to begin work on a second all-ages park, removing the toddler playground near Ludlow Avenue in Rochester Municipal Park.

In 2018, city staff discovered that the toddler playground equipment at the Rochester Community House was in poor condition and replacement parts were no longer available.

“It will be a much larger area than the current one, with improved, barrier-free facilities for all abilities,” said Moriwaki.

Construction is expected to begin in spring 2025, she added.

Moriwaki noted that the design of the two new parks included input from local community organizations, including those working with people with disabilities, to ensure that all members of the community had a say in the design process.

“We are committed to inclusivity and want to enable everyone to enjoy the outdoors, regardless of age and ability,” she said.

For more information about the All-Ability Parks or to donate, visit rochestermi.org or call (248) 733-3700.