Construction on a new all-inclusive playground at the Burlington County Special Services School District is nearly complete, with an early October opening expected.
State Sen. Troy Singleton, Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson and district officials toured the new playground site recently and got an update on its progress from MRC Rec, the New Jersey-based company that supplied the playground’s equipment and worked with the county on its installation.
The Robert Silcox Memorial Playground will include 12,500 square feet of safe, accessible space and equipment designed for children and adults with special needs. The equipment is completely barrier free and includes adaptive swings, sensory friendly walls, slides and playhouses. The playground will also be open to the public when school is not in session.
The playground was designed as a replacement for one built decades ago at the Westampton school. Construction began last spring with site work and the removal of old equipment. The equipment was installed over the summer and final landscaping and site work – including installation of a new play safe surface – is expected in the coming weeks.
The $1.3-million project is funded through a special cost-share agreement with the Burlington County Commissioners. The county’s Department of Public Works’ Construction Services Division also assisted with the site work and installation, contributing more than 1,500 hours of labor that saved the school district and county taxpayers an estimated 15 to 20% on construction costs.
