Community Input and Ideas Sought for New Playground at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

Community Input and Ideas Sought for New Playground at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is seeking input from families, youth and the community about a new playground to be built at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. From now through mid-August, there are three ways to participate: take a survey before July 18, join in a special activity during the July 18 Ice Cream Social, or attend a community meeting on July 30.

All are encouraged to get involved in the project, which is being done in collaboration with the community, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Council and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association.

Take a survey before July 18! There’s still time to take the playground survey, which has been available since May 31 online, in print and in English and Spanish. The survey is available at www.minneapolisparks.org (look for link on the lower left corner of the home page), the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. recreation center or by calling the MPRB’s customer service center at 612-230-6400 and requesting a copy. Completed paper surveys can be mailed to, or dropped off at, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Attn: Jennifer Ringold, 2117 West River Road N, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

Join in event activity on July 18! Local artist, educator and community activist Ta-coumba Aiken will lead a special activity related to the new playground during the 14^th Annual Ice Cream Social from 6:30-8:30 pm at the park.

Mark your calendar and participate on July 30! Take part in the first of a series of community meetings for the playground on July 30, 2013 from 6:30-8:30 pm. at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 4055 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis. Participants will learn about the project, and share stories and ideas that help shape the future design.

In addition to these collaborative public opportunities, the MPRB intends to include an artist on the design team for the project. The artist will be responsible for giving visual voice to the community’s stories of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights Movement and/or African American History to inform the playground and site design. Through this context, additional stories of community diversity may emerge and be woven into the schematic design.

“The new playground is going to be a wonderful addition to this park and I hope the community, young and old alike, will share their stories and provide us with input through the survey and activities underway,” said MPRB Commissioner Brad Bourn, whose district includes the park. “Working collaborative with the community, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Council and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, we are certain to create a playground that will be enjoyed by families for generations to come.”

The community process for the playground is anticipated to span through September. If planning and weather permit, construction would start in late 2013 or early 2014 with a grand opening in August of 2014. The current playground was installed in 1993. In its 2013 budget, the MPRB allocated $225,000 for the project. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Council (Legacy Council), with the help of Kingfield Neighborhood Association, neighbors and local businesses, is actively fundraising to add additional funding to the project budget.

The park, originally named Nicollet Field, was renamed to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on October 9, 1968 after the civil rights leader who was assassinated earlier that year. Since being renamed, honoring the late civil rights leader and African American History has been a focus of the park’s facilities, services and programs. The park hosts an annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration, is the home of Freedom Form No. 2 (one of the first public major public memorials to Dr. King Jr. after his assassination), and has the Legacy Council that focuses on integrating Dr. King and his teachings into the park’s programming and infrastructure improvements.

Get Involved! Please visit the project’s web page at www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects (select Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park Playground) and sign up for updates or contact Jennifer Ringold at email: jringold@minneapolisparks.org, phone: 612-230-6464.

Donate! To donate to the playground please visit Projects - People for Parks or make checks out to People for Parks, memo line "MLK Park" and mail them to People For Parks, PO Box 24901, Minneapolis, MN 55424.