Oneida Times

Utica Mayor Robert M. Palmieri today cut the ribbon to open the new inclusive playground at T.R. Proctor Park. The playground is now completed and open for use, although there is still landscaping and construction in the vicinity that residents should take care to avoid. Parents should watch children to avoid areas where construction is taking place.

The new playground was built using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Community Block Development Grant and will replace the old playground at the west of the park. The City will now dismantle the old playground. The new playground was designed by BCI Burke Company, and is a custom design for the City of Utica specifically.

Installation of the new equipment follows a months-long design process that was centered around making a family-friendly play area that was accessible and fun for all of Utica’s residents. It features several unique play features that have not been seen in the Utica area to date. The playground is part of an effort to upgrade several of the city’s park systems to allow for more outdoor recreation spaces that can be safely used by a wide-range of residents following lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Several of the recent improvements to local parks have been geared toward TR Proctor and FT Proctor Parks to make a destination recreation area. Some of these improvements include:

• A new dog park at the east end of the park
• A new skatepark at TR Proctor Park
• A splashpad that will go next to the new playground
• A new parking lot adjacent to Buckley Pool
• A new waterslide near Buckley Pool.

Mayor Robert M. Palmieri said: “The City of Utica has the third largest park system in New York State and our goal is to be the best park system in the entire state. With our recent investments, including this beautiful play area, Utica will be more fun, more sustainable and more enjoyable for people from all over. I ask the residents to help us get the most out of these improvements by using all equipment properly and with care.”

Councilman Frank Meola said: “I commend the Mayor and the administration for investing in families and in our parks. As a councilmember, I hear constantly, that we need to provide more things for people to do and enjoy in our city, and we’re delivering on those requests. I’m can’t wait to see families with children of all abilities enjoy our new playground.”

Original source can be found here.