Bartlet Mall playground upgrade could cost over $400K

April 03-- Apr. 3--NEWBURYPORT -- A group of residents has been working to raise money and awareness to have the Bartlet Mall playground upgraded to an inclusive and accessible playground for all children, which would cost $413,000, according to a developer.

Kasey Edwards and her husband, Chris Edwards, spearheaded the initiative last year when they were looking into changing some of the standard swings on the playground to swings for children with physical disabilities.

Two and a half years ago, their daughter, Robbie Edwards, was diagnosed with neurodegenerative spastic paraplegia-47 -- a rare, newly recognized genetic disorder resembling cerebral palsy.

The couple wrote to Newburyport Parks Director Lise Reid to request that the Bartlet Mall upgrade, which includes the playground, be made into an accessible space.

The estimated cost would be $413,000, according to Medway-based developer O'Brien & Sons, which specializes in playground work, Chris Edwards said.

The family brought together a group of residents to raise additional money to contribute to the city to make their vision come together. The group will host its kickoff fundraiser at Riverwalk Brewery on May 11 at noon, featuring raffles, live music and food trucks, Kasey Edwards said. The family-friendly event is free to the public.

"We've been meeting with city officials for six months or so working on a way to get an all-inclusive playground into the city," Chris Edwards said. "It seemed the Bartlet Mall was already slated for development."

He met with O'Brien & Sons to discuss what kind of equipment should be used. The developer provided conceptual renderings of playground equipment that would be a good fit for the space. The necessary equipment would have more ramps instead of stairs and is a lot wider, he added.

In addition, there are different types of accessible swings, including some onto which a person could roll a wheelchair. Kasey Edwards said a traditional playground typically costs about $100,000, but an inclusive playground can cost up to five times that amount because of its design, multiple features, special surface and wider paths.

"The proposal we have right now is really just the first stab at a conceptual plan," Chris Edwards said. "Nothing is cast in stone yet. I don't believe there have been any real formal requests for revisions to what was initially proposed."

Now, he said, the city needs to decide how much money it is able to allocate for the project and the rest would be funded through private donations, grants and other sources.

Aside from the initial fundraiser at Riverwalk Brewery, "We don't have a clear funding path yet," Chris Edwards said.

The group has also had conversations with Rep. James Kelcourse, R-Amesbury, and other state officials to provide a letter of support for allocating funding, he added.

"It really comes down to money," Chris Edwards said. "We're getting anecdotally quite a bit of interest in the event. People see there is value in helping our special needs kids. We think this playground, if it comes into fruition, it could be a first in a series in and around the region here that will support disability families across the region."

Kasey Edwards agreed, noting an accessible playground could serve surrounding communities.

"I want people to be more aware of that need and the widespread awareness," she said. "It's not just going to be people from Newburyport. One of our biggest hopes is that this is an endeavor for Newburyport, but surrounding towns will think, 'Yes, absolutely, this is something we should do."

Staff writer Amanda Getchell covers Newburyport and Seabrook. Follow her on Twitter @ajgetch.

___

(c)2019 The Daily News of Newburyport (Newburyport, Mass.)

Visit The Daily News of Newburyport (Newburyport, Mass.) at www.newburyportnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.