PETERSBURG, Va. — Petersburg opened its first adaptive playground Monday morning, giving children of all abilities a new place to play at Legends Park.
Within seconds of the gate opening, children rushed in to explore the new equipment.
The playground cost just over $300,000, with the majority of the project funded through a Community Development Block Grant, according to Petersburg's Director of Recreation Marquis Allen.
"The biggest thing for the adaptive playground is it services children and adults with disabilities," Allen said. "We want to be able to give them a safe place where they'd be able to have some level of recreation as well."
It has been decades since Legends Park saw a new playground. Allen said the last time the playground was remodeled was 1999.
The new facility features wheelchair-accessible equipment, soft turf surfacing, and sensory tools.
"I can see it is wheelchair accessible," said Brittany Ellerbe, a Petersburg resident and mother of 1-year-old Baylee.
Ellerbe said the investment is well worth it.
"Anything they do to beautify Petersburg, to make it more inclusive, to make it more family friendly, I am such an advocate for," Ellerbe said. "You can't get any better than soft turf to just let your kids run and play."
Fellow Petersburg resident Michael Turner said the sensory features stood out to him.
"It feels safe, it looks safe, and it looks like they put thought into it," Turner said.
For Turner, the new playground represents something larger for the city.
"I mean the biggest thing as a parent is safety for me," Turner said. "I think this represents change. I think this represents progress."
In the next few weeks, new benches, new picnic tables, and new grills will be installed around the playground. A splash pad is also planned for Legends Park, coming in early 2027.
Legends Park is located at 1614 Defense Road.
Watch for Wayne Covil's reporting on CBS 6 and WTVR.com. Have a story idea or tip for Wayne? Email him.
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