Is The NFL Boundless Playground Limited

It must come with the territory. Doesn't it seem that everything I write about that is done by the City doesn't work out as expected or as hoped for. The plans are great but something always goes wrong.

Perhaps it's because the people, some anonymous, who contact me to give me a "head's up" want me to talk more about what has failed than what has gone right. Perhaps they have seen the City "THINK BIG" but "ACT SMALL" and to fail to realize the potential while wasting too much money. Perhaps there is little that has actually worked out. I have to conclude that many are as disappointed as I, comparing Windsor with what it is to what it could be.

The NFL Boundless Playground is a small but interesting example of what I mean. Good intentions but did the Execution match up?

Here's part of the Press Release:

"A new football-themed playground, commemorating the City of Windsor’s unique role in helping to stage and host Super Bowl XL will be located north of Riverside Drive, west of Caron Avenue Pumping Station in the riverfront lands.

Parks and Recreation has been working on this design in cooperation with parents of youth with disabilities for the last six months. The 550 square metre play area and gardens will cost approximately $250,000 and be ready for use in the fall of 2006.

The sensory rich, barrier free playground is a legacy of Super Bowl XL and funded by contributions from National Football League (NFL) and residents. This unique play area provides opportunities for all children to become fully involved in recreation. Youth in wheelchairs will be able to access all areas. The gardens surrounding the unit will emphasize texture, color and smell to stimulate and challenge the senses.

The Boundless Playground will be a focal point for families in the continued development of the riverfront parklands.

The park development includes additional parking, upgraded landscaping and washrooms. The location was chosen because of its proximity to trails, accessible parking and washrooms."

At Council what we saw passed was:

"Proposal #72-06 for the NFL Boundless Playground proposed by Fuller Construction (representing Playpower Canada also known as Little Tikes) BE ACCEPTED to supply all labour, materials, playground equipment as specified in RFP for a total proposal price of $189,022.36 (excluding G.S.T.) to be funded from contributions from NFL Canada and;

That any additional cost associated with the project including site furnishings, plantings, walkways, earthworks, signage etc. BE ACCEPTED as part of the overall total project budget estimated in the amount of $60,977.64 (excluding G.S.T.) to ensure the successful completion of the Boundless Playground. These funds are currently available in Capital Project 7039006 (Playgrounds)."

I must admit that I thought all the money was coming from the NFL. It was not until I started researching the story that I learned that taxpayers were contributing too. The project was to cost about $250,000.

It really was not all NFL money that was used. Oh they contributed some I assume but a lot of the money came from such activities as "half the proceeds from sales of the stuffed animal, "Windsor's Super Bowl moose... Since there will be only 4,000 "limited edition" moose available, the promotion could generate $40,000 for the playground." Also proceeds from "special events, like the Reebok Fan Zone at the Cleary, football clinics for youth, the INXS concert, NFL photo exhibits at the art gallery and the international party and reception at the old armouries... will go toward the riverfront Super Bowl legacy project." Also 300 Super Bowl XL banners were auctioned off. But about $61,000 was paid for by City taxpayers.

In passing, have we ever yet received a full accounting of what was spent by the City on Super Bowl? I'll let the Star do that story and they can file a MFOIA request to get the information.

I went down to the riverfront to see the playground on Sunday and took some photos. [Click them to make them bigger]. I was surprised to see the playground there and not at Atkinson Park a few blocks west which is also on the river. I could see the playground being tied into the swimming pools and skate-board park there to make it a complete play and destination facility for families. I am surprised that Councillor Jones who is a big supporter of Atkinson and Councillor Postma who always mentions her family on matters like this did not fight to get the playground in the Ward 2 park. But that's another quibble.

The real issue is whether the Boundless Playground succeeded. On one level it did not....try and find the NFL logo. It is put on the green "flooring" that I saw in one spot anyway but the one on the equipment is virtually impossible to read. NFL Canada may not be too happy unless there is more signage in the plans.

Next, "The barrier-free Boundless Playground will provide opportunities for all children, including those with disabilities, to play side-by-side. Boundless Playgrounds are specifically constructed to enable all children – including those with physical, developmental, cognitive and sensory disabilities – to experience stimulating and challenging play."

Take a look at the photographs. The playground is great for kids who have no disabilities. Take a look at the equipment and ask yourself how a child in a wheel-chair would use it. Did you notice the steps? Sure there is a wheel-chair ramp but stairs too to use the equipment. And that red ladder-looking equipment? Go to the park and see for yourself the amount of equipment that a physically-challenged child could actually use.

And there seem to be some potential hazards for small kids that are running around. Those little orange mushroom looking objects that I assume are seats just seem perfectly positioned for a child to fall over and to be hurt. [Bottom left corner of Picture #1]

The photos are not that good in showing the steep grade but no child in a wheelchair or a senior in a walker could go down the entrance road easily. Try going up the road with that grade. It cannot be done by the child without assistance in my opinion! It means then that without a car, the area is not practically accessible. In effect, the location they chose to put this equipment in may be an obstacle in itself.

The effort that the caregivers or parents make and the work it takes to get the children there may mean it just does not get used as much as it should have been. Wheel chairs, electric and manual, walkers, crutches and canes are the methods of mobility of the disabled. I think there may be problems

I don't claim to know much about construction costs but was the playground "elevated" when it was constructed or were earth and fill added? It is elevated now and not at the same level as the walkway along the river below. Perhaps it was designed this way so that it could be seen from Detroit, with a strong pair of binoculars. If it was not elevated, what was the cost to make it so?

Take a look at the large area to be landscaped. How big is the new parking lot that is being built? How much turf will be installed and other shrubs and flowers. How about the annual operating costs that are borne by taxpayers? I'd like to see the bills that show only a $61,000 cost. Are there any "in kind" contributions that should be valued out in calculating costs?

If Councillors Jones and Postma wanted the Boundless Playground to go to Atkinson Park, they had some powerful arguments in its favour:

• Location--right on Riverside Drive on the river with good visablity from the traffic passing by
• Costs--there would not have been much excavating to do so more money could have gone for buying equipment.
• One-stop family location--swimming pools, skate-boarding and a nice, brand-spanking new playground all at the same spot. Seems a no-brainer since so many people use the Park now and it seems easily accessible with its new parking lot.
• Cross-functional--the Friends of Atkinson could have used the barrier-free playground to help develop programs for physically-challenged children as they have been trying to do

Anyway, what is done is done. There is no point whinging any more about it. I hope it will be used by families as expected. It's just that with some more thought--and with less in-fighting and politics-- it could have accomplished so much more for so much less.