The new playground features the first ADA accessible charcoal grill, ready to be adjusted according to people’s height.
NEWINGTON, Conn. — Newington officials celebrated the grand opening of a fully-inclusive playground at Seymour Park Wednesday, designed for people of all ages and abilities.
Brian, a lifelong Newington resident, said he wasn’t allowed to play at the park growing up due to the park’s poor conditions and safety concerns.
“I think it’s amazing. Anybody and everybody should use it. That’s how it should be. That’s what parks are for,” Brian said. “Traffic, people, what not. Broken glass, bottles, you name it, was here. And now that I have a son, we come here all the time and get to play.”
Now, the park tells a different story. The upgraded playground includes a basketball concourse, a bike station with an air pump, a table chess, a special needs swing and the town’s first ADA-accessible charcoal grill, adjustable to different heights.
Newington Mayor Jon Trister said the project is part of a nearly $500,000 initiative funded through Newington’s Capital Improvement Program, or CIP.
“The brand-new features, soft rubber flooring, everything is state-of-the-art and fully ADA accessible,” Trister said. “It’s just a beautifully done park.”
For parents like Tyler DeChichio, the park is a chance to relive childhood memories while creating new ones with their own kids.
“We’ve been coming since the renovations began,” DeChichio said. “When I was a kid, I played basketball here almost every day. Now I get to bring my son.”
Trister said an additional ADA-accessible park is already in the planning stages and expected to open next year.
Vallery Maravi is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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