The 2019 park review came with some difficult news for Springdale Park and local residents. According to the Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s annual assessment, the Springdale playground was failing and became a priority for replacement. The assessment considers safety, age and the condition of the equipment when evaluating each park.
Using Board Designated Funds, and grant funds from the Tres Grace Family Foundation, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) and the Parks and Recreation Department decided to replace the playground so the children of Springdale had a safer, more fun place to play outside!
Springdale Park Needs Assessment
Getting Springdale Neighbors the Park They Deserve
In February 2020, the process began by meeting with the Springdale community. APF and PARD were building the space for the community's use, so it was vital to see what they wanted for their park. Community members completed a survey to choose what playground structures they wanted to see at the park. There was also a section for them to express their main concerns about the park.
Community members who were unable to attend the meeting also had the chance to fill out a survey and express their thoughts. The survey collected demographic information to make sure a representative sample of the community was responding. The results of the survey produced some valuable insights about the Springdale community and their experiences outdoors! For example, there were concerns raised about the condition of the trail behind the park. Therefore, some funds were used to improve the accessibility of this trail.
The second community meeting came with a few complexities, as it was APF’s first community meeting via Zoom! Despite some minor adjustments, the virtual meeting was a success! Leaders summarized the first meeting and revealed to community members a preliminary plan for the playground so they could provide feedback. After the community meetings were complete, the contractor was ready to break ground on this project!
Construction and the Results:
Construction started in January 2021, and by April, the playground was complete! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have not been any organized volunteer projects to help maintain the work done at this park, but we anticipate that these projects will pick up during the latter half of 2021 as conditions improve.
BEFORE CONSTRUCTION
DURING CONSTRUCTION
AFTER CONSTRUCTION
Austin Parks Foundation is so proud of all the hard work put into this project by neighbors, the city and our staff! We're honored to have had the opportunity to collaborate with PARD and the Springdale community to improve their neighborhood park. Interested in how we make improvement projects like these possible? Learn more about our ACL Music Festival Grants Program here!
