For the past two years, the Huntington Beach area at the Cleveland Metroparks has been undergoing a transformation.
This week, the Metroparks, along with officials from the city of Bay Village and the Karen’s Way Family Foundation, cut the ribbon Oct. 4 on what likely is the crown jewel of the entire renovation.
The Karen’s Way Play Place, first announced by the Metroparks in June, has officially opened.
The new children’s play area promises something for everyone, and is fully Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, according to Sean McDermott, chief planning and design officer for the Cleveland Metroparks.
“Here at Huntington, we have been undergoing improvements now for the past two years,” McDermott said. “Karen’s Way Play Space has been under construction for about six months or so.
“The planning has been in place for some time in working with the donor family.”
McDermott noted that while the donor family would like to remain anonymous, they did provide input on play elements and the general atmosphere of the park.
Heavily nature-inspired, the park is built
directly into the canopy area at Huntington Beach.
“We really took a lot of inspiration here in our play elements from nature,” McDermott said. “(We) really wanted to incorporate the entire play space softly within the park, and we believe we’ve done that.”
The location of the park also allows for natural shade, McDermott noted.
Rather than staying in the beating sun all afternoon, families at the Karen’s Way Play Space will have access to plenty of shaded areas around the park, he said.
Bay Village Mayor Paul Koomar gave a speech to open the ribbon-cutting festivities on Oct. 4. He noted that as one of the oldest nature reserves in northern Ohio, it was nice to see the spotlight shine on Huntington Reservation once again.
“This is a wonderful day,” Koomar said. “Not only do we have great weather, but another investment in Huntington Reservation and the Cleveland Metroparks, one of our oldest reservations.
“This play space here is just another wonderful addition to the community.”
Koomar noted that accessibility for the park was a massive plus for Bay Village and Cleveland Metroparks.
Down to the mulch, the park is built on, every aspect of the play space is ADA compliant, and has something for everyone, he said.
“I think the fact that it includes ADA-accessible items for all children is a wonderful asset for the community,” Koomar said. “We’re really looking forward to using it.
“Thus far, I’ve gotten all positive comments. People are very excited about this, and I think that’s what you’re witnessing today.”
The ribbon-cutting was the third day the play space had been open, McDermott said.
The soft opening which started Oct. 2 already has garnered nothing but positive a reception from parents and children alike, he said.
“Very excited for the kids,” McDermott said. “I, myself, have kids, and they love this stuff.
“We literally took the fence down on Monday, and the place was immediately smiles, laughing, running, a swarm of kids. It’s exactly what we want to see.”
This post was updated at 11:56 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2023 to remove an unnecessary hyperlink.
